What Lies Beneath
by Quatermass
Summary: Many things were obscured in the thousand years since the Cycle of Sin began. A whole people of sentient, benign Fiends, the Fallen, were trapped under Mount Ebott by Bevelle. Cast by enemies into the Underground, Yuna and Paine grow up with a new family...and when Auron shows up with Tidus in tow, the Fallen have hope again...and so too does the rest of Spira...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

I try to break new ground where possible. This, I hope, will be no exception. This will be the first marked crossover between _Final Fantasy X_ and _Undertale_. And while this may seem like an awkward mesh, especially given the differing philosophies in the gameplay and story, please, hear me out.

Originally, this was intended to be a crossover with _Final Fantasy VII_. But I wasn't sure I could make it work. I think it's partly because _Final Fantasy VII_ has such a crowded mythology, thanks to the _Compilation of Final Fantasy VII_. But I had also tired myself out somewhat on the characters with my Harry Potter crossovers. _Final Fantasy X_ meshed somewhat better, and also had a better rationale for freeing the monsters from the Underground.

While I obtained _Undertale_ some time ago, it was only recently that I started playing, as well as reading up on the story. Yes, I know, spoilers, but I'm the sort of person who doesn't mind them. I wanted to do a fanfic that was a crossover, but wasn't with the game proper, but rather, set before the game, using most of the characters and some of the themes. I originally did a crossover with _FEAR_ , a oneshot called _Dum Spiro Spero_ (Latin for 'While I breathe, I hope'), and if you have read it, you might see a little of its DNA in this story.

Anyway, I had this strange notion of crossing _Undertale_ with _Final Fantasy X_. While I am changing the backstory of _Undertale_ somewhat to merge it with the history of _Final Fantasy X_ , I think it will work. That being said, there'll be no Chara or Frisk. They don't exist here. Instead, those who fall will include Yuna, Paine, Kimahri…and later, Tidus. The ensuing story when it comes to the events of _Final Fantasy X_ will be somewhat different. This is more about integrating the characters from _Undertale_ into the world of Spira…and I think it has worked.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both _Undertale_ and _Final Fantasy X_. If you want to avoid spoilers for the former especially, don't read. This is also something of an AU for both, especially _Undertale_ , so please don't complain.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, and dark themes. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. _Undertale_ and _Final Fantasy X_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Sans will make sure you have a bad time…


	2. Chapter 1: Fallen

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **FALLEN**

 _They had come for her in the night. She heard them whispering how her father wasn't there to protect her, about how she was a filthy little half-breed. She tried to scream and struggle, but had been drugged._

 _They took her away from Bevelle, to the cursed peak Mount Ebott. Another girl was there, silver-haired and red of eye. She was struggling too, even as they were brought into a cave, a large fissure in the floor like some gaping stony maw, eager to eat them._

 _Then, the man leading them said, "Braska's half-breed daughter, and my daughter, the niece of Auron. Two stains upon Yevon that'll soon be erased."_

 _"You're not my father! My uncle will get back, you'll see!" the silver-haired girl snarled._

 _"The Pilgrimage is a one-way trip, even if they get the Final Aeon," the man sneered. "Braska and Auron are dead men walking, along with that drunken idiot who claimed to be from Zanarkand." He looked at the others. "Cast them in."_

 _"But Maester Kopile(_ _1)_ _, they're just children!" one of them protested._

 _"I am a Maester of Yevon, Kinoc. Disobey my order, and it is the same as spitting on the precepts!_ _ **Cast them in.**_ _"_

 _She was suddenly thrown down the fissure, screaming, as did the other girl, as they went. The other girl was screaming in defiant rage, while she was screaming in fear as she fell into eternal darkness, knowing that oblivion awaited at the bottom_ …

* * *

Yuna sat bolt upright, gasping, her brown hair askew, her mismatched eyes (one green, one blue) wide. She fought to get the hammering of her heart under control. A nightmare, born from memory from six years ago. She had had that dream far too often. So too did Paine, even if she rarely spoke of it.

She calmed herself, and looked around the now-familiar room. So different to what she was used to back at Bevelle…and yet, so much more like home, even before her father left for his fatal Pilgrimage. True, she was loved by her parents…but she wasn't loved by most of those of Bevelle, simply because her mother, Sharon(2), was an Al Bhed. And because they used machina, the Al Bhed were _persona non grata_ throughout most of Spira. Braska was effectively excommunicated from Yevon, even though he was allowed to remain in Bevelle.

Yuna sighed quietly. Her mother died when Sin attacked her ship. Her father, according to the surveillance the Fallen had on Spira, had died becoming a High Summoner, as had Jecht. Auron had disappeared, though she knew he had lived for long enough to get help. Too late to save her, true, but Kimahri Ronso had followed her and Paine down here, after learning about her abduction and being dumped into Mount Ebott. Not before interrogating those who did so pretty hard, though: Kimahri took his obligations seriously, even for an outcast Ronso.

Her nose twitched when she smelt breakfast being cooked. She smiled. While the manner of her coming here was somewhat traumatic, it meant she had gained a new family, bound not by blood, but by deed.

Emerging from her bed, she left her bedroom, and walked down the corridor to the kitchen. There, her mother, her new mother, was cooking, while her new brother looked on. Her brother looked at her entrance, and smiled. "Howdy, Yuna! How did you sleep?"

"All right, but I had the nightmare again, Asriel," Yuna said with a sad smile.

Asriel Dreemurr nodded solemnly. Although he had the manner of a human or a Guado, he actually looked like a humanoid goat, albeit one who was a boy in his early teens. He had large floppy ears, white fur covering every exposed part of his skin, an elongated muzzle of a face, and a pair of small fangs jutting out of his mouth in a manner that looked more endearing than sinister. His clothing consisted of black trousers and a jumper that had green and yellow stripes.

"Where's Dad?" Yuna asked. "Or Paine, or Kimahri?"

It was Yuna's adoptive mother who spoke. Toriel Dreemurr, like Asriel, resembled a humanoid goat, with a pair of short horns. She was tallish, and dressed in a tabard with a distinctive symbol on it, the Delta Rune. She also had a gentle, maternal demeanour. "Gorey's gone to the labs to talk to Gaster about giving Alphys an internship. Kimahri and Undyne are training Paine. Incidentally, Sans will be coming over before long for our weekly comedy discussion."

Yuna didn't know whether to be elated or afraid, and judging by the look Asriel shot her, he shared her ambivalent feelings. Sans was a nice guy, if somewhat lazy, but the squat skeleton loved excruciatingly bad puns, something Toriel also loved. He was a sentry for nearby Snowdin, and was training his enthusiastic, if rather loud, brother Papyrus in the same duty. Papyrus had ambitions to enter the Royal Guard, partly out of admiration for Undyne, who, despite her young age, was seen as a wunderkind, said to become Head of the Royal Guard soon.

It was strange, being the adopted children of the Dreemurrs. Asgore and Toriel were the King and Queen of the Underground, but they didn't act like royalty, or at least not like how Yuna thought royalty normally would act, which is to say, more like one of the Maesters. And by Maesters, she meant Grand Maester Mika, who had a paternal, nice air for such an old man. Of course, given her own bad experience with a Maester, well…it was a little hard to trust them, at least automatically.

But the Dreemurrs were more like family, and not in a distant way, either. Asgore was a goofball, though you couldn't deny his strength. And Toriel was so warm and nice. And as for Asriel, well, he was the best brother Yuna could hope for.

As Yuna began to drink her juice, she heard a familiar, deep voice say, "Don't _skull_ it too hard, Yuna, it might go down the wrong way."

"You don't need to say such morbid things, Sans, they have enough to _occipital_ their minds without such _chokes_ ," Toriel said with a giggle.

Yuna and Asriel groaned simultaneously. While Sans seemed to be content being a lowly sentry, the truth was, he was also one of the most powerful fighters in the Underground. The dumpy skeleton was easy-going and lazy, but woe betide anyone who roused Sans to fight. A Fiend had managed to get into the Underground, a Great Malboro, and Sans had confronted the powerful plant monster, saying it was going to have a **_bad time_**.

Needless to say, it did, though not before Kimahri used Lancet to learn the Malboro's infamous Bad Breath technique. Most of the Malboro ended up as a foul-smelling smear in Snowdin, though the tentacles, a delicacy when cooked right, became a specialty at Grillby's for a time.

"I'm surprised you don't choke on the ketchup you guzzle every day, Sans," Asriel remarked as Toriel set out a bottle of the stuff on the table.

"Ain't got lungs to choke with, Asriel," Sans said with his perpetual grin. "Just bones and Pyreflies. Don't ask me where the ketchup goes. Dad probably knows, but try asking him and understanding him. Even if you know what he's saying, you won't know what he's talking about. Hell, I don't think even Alphys would understand, and she's one of the smartest people I know."

"It can't be healthy drinking it every day," Yuna remarked.

"Hey, Fallen have different ways of eating to normal people," Sans said, before opening the bottle of ketchup and drinking it. "Besides, I'm an ambulatory skeleton. Nutrition is for those with flesh on their bones."

"Sans, you are not setting a good example for the children," Toriel chided gently.

"That's what you and the King are for, Toriel," Sans said. "Anyway, I saw Paine training with Undyne and Kimahri. Damn, that girl is driven. We can't get through the Barrier, but she's still training like she wants to take revenge."

"Paine's father hurt her badly," Yuna said quietly.

"Yeah, but we know thanks to our monitoring system tapping into the sphere network across Spira that he's dead. She hasn't got anyone to take revenge on, unless she decides to take on all of Yevon. I'm just worried about her, you know?"

"Paine…is a very private person," Toriel said quietly. "She's a good girl, but she's almost as reserved as Kimahri. And you know how she feels about our humour."

"Yeah, she's as bad as my little brother," Sans said with a sigh. "Paine by name, pain by nature."

Once more, Yuna and Asriel groaned. It was going to be a long breakfast…

* * *

After their breakfast was finished, as well as showering and dressing for Yuna, they made their way to Snowdin. From there, they hoped to take the ferry to Waterfall to pay a visit to Alphys. Alphys split her time between the Royal Lab and her home in Waterfall, one she had bought close to Undyne's own home. The two had recently entered into a relationship.

As they made their way, Yuna reflected on her new home. She had been told the history of the Fallen, as they called themselves. They had been called, various, Monsters and Fiends, though unlike most Fiends, they were sentient and, on the whole, peaceful. From what Yuna understood, the Fallen were a form of sentient Fiend, not unlike an Unsent. However, unlike Unsent, Fallen could breed. And they were created from Pyreflies originally, rather than being revenants. Sendings didn't affect them, though killing them tended to make sure they stayed dead, their bodies dissolving into dust and Pyreflies, with even Life magic and Phoenix Downs not helping them.

In her time here, Yuna learned more about the history of Spira than she was sure she ever would on the surface. The Fallen had been allies of Zanarkand, back when it wasn't a ruined city. Bevelle saw the Fallen as a threat, and had during the Machina Wars, they and their allies had attacked the Fallen, wiping many of them out in battle, and forcing the rest deep into Mount Ebott, where a Barrier was erected. A Barrier which allowed things in…but not out.

She was shocked to learn that Yevon was in fact apparently named for a famous and powerful Summoner of Zanarkand, the father of Yunalesca. Asgore and Toriel knew Yu Yevon (they were over a thousand years old, despite only having had Asriel relatively recently), and didn't think highly of him or his leadership of Zanarkand. How a religion came to be named after that Summoner, they didn't know for sure.

It was strange living in an underground world where machina was used freely, and where Sin was little threat. If only the rest of Spira could live like the Underground did. True, they yearned to be free of their confinement, even if the Underground was a spacious place, but they had little to actually fear, beyond the occasional Fiend or Sinspawn that fell into the Underground.

This was home now, more than Bevelle ever had been. Yuna felt…well, not content. She didn't like that she had a good life here while those outside, even in the brief Calm before Sin returned, lived without the benefits of the machina here.

Having made their way to Waterfall, Asriel and Yuna made their way to Alphys' house. As they passed the path to Undyne's house, they heard the clashing of sword and spear as Undyne, Kimahri, and Paine trained. They halted briefly, and looked up the drive to watch, from a distance.

Paine had grown, and tended now to dress in black clothing, her hair in a tomboyish quiff, her expression grim when it wasn't impassive. Her current opponent, Undyne, was a woman in her early twenties…but with blue skin and piscine features. Red hair swept back from her face. A golden, slit-pupilled eye (the other covered by an eyepatch) peered balefully at Paine, her mouth filled with fangs. She wielded a glowing blue spear she created with her magic. Looking on, acting as referee to this match, was Kimahri, a Ronso, a tall, lion-like humanoid with blue fur, a broken horn on his forehead, and a stoic demeanour. He spoke sparingly, but Ronso tended to favour action rather than words. He was an exile from the Ronso tribe of Mount Gagazet, a broken horn being a mark of great shame. Despite being taller than most monsters here, Kimahri was actually short for his people.

Yuna and Asriel would drop by later, once the practise session was finished, though they'd probably head to Alphys' later. Undyne and Alphys, after all, were friends, even lovers. That had been rather shocking to Yuna, at first, given the precepts of Yevon and their stance on homosexuality, but as long as they loved each other, she guessed it didn't matter.

They came up to Alphys' house, and knocked on the door. There was a brief clatter from inside, before they heard Alphys' nervous voice say, "J-Just a m-moment!" After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing a short, yellow, reptilian creature with a rather prominent overbite and glasses. "Ah, Y-Yuna and As-Asriel. Sorry, I w-was just working on a n-new project."

Yuna sighed. Alphys was a brilliant young woman, but she was extremely nervous. It took her ages to kick the habit of calling Asriel 'Your Majesty', and her stuttering was, if anything, even worse than it was now. Hell, she only worked up the confidence to admit her feelings to Undyne last year.

"It's okay, Alphys," Yuna said. "We just wanted to see you."

"Oh, okay! M-Maybe you want to s-see the p-project I'm working on. It's a n-new body for M-Mettaton."

"That might be interesting," Yuna said cautiously. Mettaton looked like a machina that could think for itself, but in truth, Alphys had created it as a body for a friend of hers in school, a Fallen ghost. He was already a celebrity in the Underground, given his flamboyant personality.

Apparently, it was possible to create machina that could think for itself, what Alphys called an artificial intelligence. Mettaton technically wasn't.

Still, it was probably interesting. And Yuna was enjoying her life in the Underground. Even so, she wanted to return to the surface one day. And she wanted to ensure that her family and friends came with her. If only she knew how…

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Here you have it. Now,** ** _Undertale_** **fans may be up in arms about how much I've fiddled with the characters. Part of it is that I haven't played that far into the game (as of writing, I've only just made it to Waterfall), and part of it is making the** ** _Undertale_** **elements mesh with the mythos of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **. But for this fanfic, I wanted to take the characters and put them into something new.**

 **For those curious, yes, the monsters will emerge from the Underground at least a few years before the events of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **. Yuna will end up at Besaid, as she does in canon, just later. But she'll be less naïve. Yes, she'll have a Harry Potter-esque saving people thing, but she won't be quite as quiet or demure as in canon, and she certainly won't be drinking the Yevon Kool Aid. She'll still be a Summoner, but she will be working to bring an Eternal Calm.**

 **The next chapter will feature Auron, Jecht…and Tidus.**

 **Incidentally, I've been thinking about the Undertale characters and what they'd be in a more Final Fantasy-like game as protagonists. So, here's my thoughts…**

 **ASRIEL DREEMURR:** **Green Mage** **. Specialises in buffs and debuffs to strengthen his allies and weaken his foes. Uses a crossbow as a weapon.**

 **Overdrive:** **Trance** **. In-story, Asriel can gather large amounts of Pyreflies into his body to transform temporarily into the forms he takes at the end of the Pacifist Run (his second form is his last Overdrive learned. Attacks include Star Blazer (his star attack), Chaos Saber, and so on. Like with Trance in** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **, each action depletes his Overdrive. He can revert early to save his Overdrive gauge, though if he uses up all his Overdrive gauge while transformed, his attacks will be over.**

 **TORIEL DREEMURR:** **Red Mage** **. Specialises in healing magic and fire magic, but can learn other black magic as well. Uses a stave as a weapon.**

 **Overdrive:** **A Mother's Love** **. She can use one of Aerith's Limit Breaks from** ** _Final Fantasy VII_** **. She can also use Vaan's Quickening Pyroclasm, along with a few other fire attacks of her own.**

 **SANS:** **Time Mage** **and** **Geomancer** **. Uses both the effects of terrain and space time magic to attack his foes. Using Haste on this lazy skeleton is a must. He upgrades his eye as a weapon.**

 **Overdrive:** **You're Gonna Have a Bad Time** **. He can unleash a powerful attack from his arsenal, with his most powerful being Megalovania, which is his initial attack from his boss battle. Even before he can use that, he can use Gaster Blasters and the like.**

 **UNDYNE:** **Dragoon** **. Unlike Dragoons of previous games, Undyne can't jump. But she can use many of the Dragon techniques Freya from** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **can use, as well as the Throw command.**

 **Overdrive:** **Spear of Justice** **. Undyne transforms into her Undying form, and unlocks the ability to use Dark Knight techniques (suitably modified) based on how many Dragon techniques she has learned.**

 **ALPHYS AND METTATON:** **Technomancer** **. Alphys works somewhat like a Trainer from** ** _Final Fantasy X-2_** **, using Mettaton to attack in her stead. She also uses gadgets not unlike Edgar from** ** _Final Fantasy VI_** **.**

 **Overdrive:** **Oh, YES!** **Transforms Mettaton into his EX form, and basically makes him like an Aeon, in that he's the only one present on the screen.**

 **1\. In my previous** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **stories** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **and** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **(plug, plug), I gave Paine the backstory of being Auron's niece, with his sister married to a rather obnoxious and nasty member of Yevon. Here, I made said member a Maester (for this story specifically). His name is Macedonian for 'bastard'. He's the one Kinoc would eventually replace.**

 **2\. Sharon may sound mundane, but there's a type of hibiscus called the Rose of Sharon. Given that 'yuuna' is an Okinawan word for a Sea Hibiscus, I thought this appropriate. Anyway, Cid is a relatively mundane name. Why not Sharon?**


	3. Chapter 2: Auron and Tidus

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **AURON AND TIDUS**

Being dead and yet still alive didn't quite grant wisdom, but it did grant perspective. Auron thought back to the uptight, elitist young man he used to be, and was glad he got out of that phase. He still kept everything essential from it: his principles, his morals, his ability and strength. But it was now tempered with a collectedness that he had only pretended to in life. In a perverse manner, Yunalesca did him a favour.

Not that he wasn't going to gut the undead harridan should he ever get the chance to. However, there were priorities in place, and promises to keep. He kept at least one promise to that loud boor Jecht: look after his son. With Jecht's help as the latest iteration of Sin, Auron was able to travel back and forth between Spira and the Dream Zanarkand, and watch over Tidus, who was even now a somewhat fractious, but goodhearted teenager.

However, another promise had gone awry. True, he had to hurriedly tell Kimahri to bring Yuna to Besaid, but Auron could be excused at the time as he was dying, and he had faith that Kimahri would do what he wanted. The young Ronso was desperate to regain his honour, and seemed honest enough, having helped Auron get to the Rin's Travel Agency in the Calm Lands.

But Auron had made discreet visits to Besaid, and had found that Yuna hadn't appeared, nor had Kimahri. He began making visits to other areas, Kilika, Luca, even disguising himself to enter Bevelle and Guadosalam. But to no avail. Yuna had disappeared.

It was during a visit to Bevelle that he soon found someone who had been willing to talk. He was a vagrant who had once been part of the Warrior Monks, but had been dismissed due to crippling injury. Auron knew right away something was up: the Warrior Monks and the Crusaders tended to give those who were crippled enough care so that they didn't end up on the streets, so a crippled vagrant was unusual, unless it was someone who had incurred the wrath of someone high up in Yevon.

It was from this Warrior Monk that Auron learned what happened not only to Yuna, but to Paine, his niece. All out of the spite of one of the Maesters. This Warrior Monk had been crippled by Kimahri, who had been trying to find Yuna. And from the vagrant, Auron got a place: Mount Ebott.

Auron knew the legends. And he had done his research. And through Pyreflies of the dead, he knew a bit more about what was happening in the Underground than anyone else on Spira. He was contemplating something as he made his way through the streets of Dream Zanarkand.

 _You enjoyin' your little broodfest there, Auron?_ came the mental voice of Jecht. _You shouldn't think too hard, it gives you a headache. Hell, it gives ME a headache!_

 _You don't need to think that hard to give yourself a headache, Jecht_ , Auron retorted. When Jecht was lucid from deep within Sin, they could converse mentally.

 _Hey!_ Jecht's indignant shout came. _Look, Auron, I know what you're thinkin' about. If Yuna's in the Underground, she can't stop Sin. But you can't get the Fallen out._

 _I can get the Fallen out. The Barrier will require seven souls, non-Fallen souls, to open. As an Unsent, I can gather Pyreflies and direct them. And as souls are derived from Pyreflies…_

 _I see. So what's actually eatin' you?_

 _Tidus. I had hoped to bring Tidus to Spira so that he could give Yuna much-needed perspective, enough to break free from the trap of the Final Aeon. But with the Fallen, it's unnecessary. And yet…_

 _Ooh, are we shippin' the good ship…umm, Yidus? Tuna? Nope, doesn't work like that. Okay, so you wanna take the crybaby from Dream Zanarkand to Spira?_

 _His mother's dead. And while I know he has ambitions of following in your footsteps as a Blitzball player, perhaps knowing something of his destiny might allow him to mature more, and an earlier connection with Yuna may mean a stronger one. And I think the Fallen may count as our greatest allies against Yu Yevon. Stopping Sin is only part of the story. Destroying Sin for good will mean the collapse of Yevon, and with it, societal upheaval. If the Fallen help integrate with society, even if only covertly, beforehand, they may be able to help things stabilise._

 _That could backfire pretty badly_ , Jecht said.

 _Says the man whose plans had a tendency to do just that. And that was when you_ _ **had**_ _a plan. It's a sad indictment of your planning ability when becoming Sin was the best one you ever had._

 _You can keep backchattin', or you can have my opinion. You're thinkin' of bringin' Tidus to Spira…namely to the Underground. Am I right?_

 _Of course_.

A sigh from the other end. _As much as I'd like to see my boy grow up in Zanarkand and become a star Blitzball player, at least with Yuna, he'll have a friend. And at least he'll be better prepared for the Pilgrimage, instead of bein' dropped in at the deep end like I was. The Fallen are friendly, right?_

 _I have gathered Pyreflies of the Fallen from the Farplane. They are, for the most part, a peaceful people. Better than Bevelle._

 _Well then, I say bring him over. The Fayth are on board with this?_

 _Of course_. Auron smiled beneath his high collar. And just in time too. He was just coming up to Tidus' house at the end of a long walkway, almost a pier. The boy himself was out the front, doing exercises, his face filled with determination.

"Hey, Auron!" Tidus called out when he spotted the warrior.

Auron nodded in acknowledgement. Short, messy blonde hair framed boyishly handsome features, from which sky-blue eyes peered out. Despite his overtly cheerful demeanour, though, Auron could tell that something was wrong. Tidus hid a lot of pain behind both cheerful and bratty behaviour, and he had a surprising amount of pain from his past. His father was verbally abusive, and her mother, while not actually neglectful of Tidus, did tend to pay more attention to Jecht than Tidus. And it was clear that Tidus had been crying.

"What happened?" Auron asked.

Tidus scowled. "They kicked me out of the Abes Teen Team tryouts. Apparently the guy in charge was someone my old man pissed off when he was playing Blitzball, and he took it out on me. _You'll never be as good as your bastard of a father_ , he said."

Auron sighed quietly. While Jecht was admired as a Blitzball player, his character had left a lot to be desired, and that had consequences. Tidus would become a good Blitzball player, given time and encouragement. But now…

Auron made the decision. "Tidus…I'm going to take you on a trip."

"What, like a holiday?"

"Yes. A very long holiday. I thought that, with your parents dead, you might want a change of scenery. But…"

"No, take me with you! I mean, these stupid people. They think I'm like my old man. They think I'm either gonna be a Blitzball genius, or else a rude bastard."

 _Well, he certainly swears quite a bit for his age, so he's well on the way to the rude bastard side of things_ , Auron reflected inwardly. Out loud, he said, "Very well. I will hire a boat."

* * *

Of course, things weren't that simple. They sailed out to sea, with Auron giving Tidus a sleeping potion so that he wouldn't panic when they encountered Sin. And then, they were brought across to Spira. Auron carried the sleeping Tidus from their landing spot (a little way away from Bevelle) to Mount Ebott. From there, Auron leapt down into the hole, knowing that if Yuna and Paine survived, then so would he and Tidus.

As it was, they only fell for a short period before they landed in a bed of yellow flowers. Auron had to wonder what he would have to say when he met his first Fallen.

As it happened, he didn't have to wait very long.

"NGAAAAH! Intruders!" A voice yelled this from a passageway, and a trio of figures ran through. To Auron's astonishment, he recognised two of them. One of them was clearly a teenaged Paine, who seemed as surprised to see him as he was to see her, at least so soon. The other was Kimahri. The third person was a woman of sorts in armour, wielding a spear, but her features were blue, fish-like, with a single baleful gold eye that had a slitted pupil (the other eye covered by an eyepatch), and a mouthful of teeth, along with long red hair in a ponytail.

"Undyne, wait," Paine said. Her expression was rather cold, and given the circumstances, Auron couldn't blame her.

The fish-woman, presumably the one who had yelled earlier, halted. "What? Whaddya mean, Paine? This is your first patrol of the Ruins area, and we've got humans."

"I know this man. This is Auron," Paine said.

"Indeed. Kimahri know Auron," Kimahri concurred.

"Oh, yeah? This guy's your uncle?" Undyne peered at Auron. "Funny, he looks older than you described him. Smells funny too. You want me to slap him for you?"

"No. What are you doing here, Auron? And who's that with you?" Paine asked, rather coldly.

"I came here for a number of reasons," Auron said. "I heard about what your father did to Yuna and yourself, Paine."

"Took you long enough to get here, Mr Bigshot Guardian," Undyne sneered. "Who's the brat you brought with you?"

"Jecht's son. Tidus. You remember Jecht, Paine?"

"How could I forget him? That rude, loud drunk." Paine sighed. "So, you're stuck down here with us now, huh?"

"Not exactly. At the risk of sounding trite and clichéd, can you take me to your leader?"

* * *

Said leader, or at least one of them, turned out to be a humanoid goat. When the trio escorted Auron and his charge (Tidus yet to wake up) through the ruins to a house, he was surprised to find said goat woman, along with a boy of the same species, and what had to be Yuna sitting around a dinner table. Yuna, when she saw who had arrived, stood in shock. "Sir Auron?!"

The goat woman looked at Auron, before she said, "Undyne, Kimahri, Paine, please explain yourselves."

Undyne shrugged. "We just found him in the flower bed, Queen Toriel. And yeah, I know you don't like me being formal and crap, but I can't help it. Anyway, he asked to be taken to our leader. Where's the King?"

"Telling Alphys that she is interning under WD Gaster," Toriel said. "Once your business is done here, I believe you owe your girlfriend congratulations."

Undyne grinned. "Great! Gotta thank King Asgore myself, too!"

Toriel nodded, then she saw the child. "Undyne, please take the boy to one of the spare rooms. I'll speak to this…man alone."

"But Queen Toriel, I…" Undyne noticed Toriel's sharp look. "Okay, fine. Here, hand him over."

Auron handed Tidus over. He didn't think the monsters would harm him. The suspicion seemed to be on Auron rather than Tidus. "Yuna, Asriel, please help the others tend to the boy."

"He is Jecht's son," Auron said. "Tidus. If he starts saying he comes from Zanarkand…that's normal. Humour him until I can explain."

Yuna nodded. "It's good to see you again, Sir Auron," she said with a smile, before she hurried out, soon followed by the boy. Soon, Auron was alone with Toriel.

After a moment, Auron said, "If you think I am a threat, you must be confident of your ability to defeat me, Your Majesty."

"If you wish, you may call me Toriel, Auron. My husband and I detest much formality. However, I am not royalty down here merely because I was born to it." To make a point, she conjured a fireball for a few seconds. Auron could tell that it was somewhere between a Fira and Firaga spell in power. "Should it come to a fight, I am sure I can win. And I am one of many down here who know how to perform Sendings, something you should fear. Am I right, _Unsent?_ "

Auron smiled grimly. "So, you know."

"Not all of our people are sensitive to Pyreflies and the Farplane, but I certainly am. I know how to sense an Unsent. Indeed, it was our people who developed the concept of a Sending ceremony, or at least refined the process to what Yevon currently uses."

Auron sat down opposite her. "And yet, you are giving me a chance," he observed.

"We Fallen are, in many regards, sentient Fiends. We are not idiots…for the most part. I know that Unsent without malign intentions exist. After all, it is a desperate desire that causes an Unsent to remain amongst the living, without going to the Farplane, or becoming a Fiend. And Kimahri told us that you wanted Yuna taken to Besaid. I'm surprised you didn't ask him to take Paine with Yuna."

"I promised Braska about Besaid. I hadn't known that Maester Kopile would be so vindictive. In any case, I had given Paine contacts of mine to head to should things go wrong. You have my thanks in helping them both, Toriel, when I couldn't."

"And the boy? You said that he was Jecht's son. Were you looking after him?"

"Indeed. I could only visit him, and I spent as much time as I could looking for Yuna and Paine. Just out of curiosity, do you play Blitzball?"

"We have a small but adequate stadium in Waterfall. It's not as big as the ones in Luca or Zanarkand, but it's good enough for a game."

"Good. Tidus may want to play. Does that Undyne woman play?"

"No, she's more of a fitness coach for the players when she's not training for the Royal Guard. Aquatic monsters are banned due to an unfair advantage, much to their annoyance," Toriel said. "They have their own league, though. Undyne has little interest in Blitzball."

Auron nodded in acknowledgement. "Toriel, I had a number of reasons for coming here. Aside from making sure Yuna and Paine were safe, and bringing Tidus into a place he may find better…I was hoping for your help. I am one of the few people still alive who knows about the true nature of Sin. And I wish to bring an end to it. But I cannot do it alone. I was hoping to help Yuna find out the truth during a Pilgrimage of her own, as I was sure she would become a Summoner. You are aware of what is happening thanks to Yuna?"

"More than just Yuna. We Fallen have embraced the use of technology, what you call machina, and we have kept an eye on Spira at large, tapping into the sphere network. Despite Bevelle's betrayal, we despair at the Cycle of Sin, and our inability to help. We know that, far from being an embodiment of the sins of all of Spira, Sin is merely a massive Fiend, a sort of pseudo-Aeon. And I can guess whose hand is behind it. Yu Yevon. Why else would Bevelle, who hated Zanarkand, name a religion after him?"

"You are perceptive, Toriel," Auron said. "I can tell you more about Sin and Yu Yevon later. However, I actually had a proposition for you."

"And what is that?"

"I may be able to break the Barrier."

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Auron and Tidus are in the Underground. But it seems that Auron has a plan. This chapter takes place a few days after the first.**

 **Now, before you get up in arms about Tidus' mother almost neglecting him, having eyes only for Jecht, keep in mind that this is canon to the game, to a degree. Tidus, albeit with childhood memories, claims that his mother only had time for Jecht when the latter was around, and Jecht was actually the one, albeit in his usual way, to have his wife pay attention to Tidus. I don't think this means that Tidus' mother didn't love her son at all (and Tidus' flashbacks are coloured by his own attitude to Jecht), but that she was infatuated with her husband, and Jecht took priority at times. I therefore decided that, while not actually a bad mother or a bad person per se, Tidus' mother could have spent a bit more time with her son. The fact that she simply gives up and dies when Jecht disappears is somewhat damning.**

 **I think the isolation in Dream Zanarkand, combined with the reputation of his father to live up to, contributed to Tidus' immaturity in the initial stages of the game. Here, by the time the events of the game roll around, while he'll still be recognisably Tidus (cheerful and loud and good-natured), he'll be somewhat more mature and perceptive.**

 **Incidentally, the next chapter will focus partly on Tidus' encounter with the others.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3: Otherworld

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **OTHERWORLD**

Of all the things that Tidus expected to see when he woke up (having had a weird dream involving his father, as well as a boy in purple robes he had seen on occasion), a humanoid goat boy wasn't one of them. The only thing that prevented him from screaming in fear, besides the lingering effects of the sleeping potion Auron gave him, was the welcoming expression on the monster's face.

"Howdy! I'm Asriel Dreemurr," the monster said. "Nice to meet you."

"Uhh, howdy?" Tidus said uncertainly.

"Asriel, don't crowd him," said the voice of a girl about his age, soft and gentle. He saw her next, and to his relief, she was human, and normal. Well, except for the mismatched green and blue eyes, but her face was pretty, framed by light brown hair. "Hello!" she said with a smile.

"Hi," Tidus said back. Reassured by the friendliness of these two, Tidus then noticed the other three inhabitants of the room. One was a human girl just slightly older than him, dressed in black, with a quiff of silver hair and red eyes. Her expression was cold, aloof, and appraising. However, a faint, reassuring smile twitched at her features. She had a sword on her back.

There was also a massively tall, lion-like being, albeit with blue fur and a broken horn. His baleful gold eyes looked down at him both curiously and vigilantly. His arms were crossed in a stern manner.

The last person he saw was dressed in armour, and had her arms crossed too. However, her fish-like features were set in an amused smirk that showed jagged fangs that had Tidus in mind of a shark. Blue scales covered her exposed skin, her golden eye had a slitted pupil (her left eye was covered by an eyepatch), and she had long red hair in a ponytail.

"Sorry, where are my manners?" the brown-haired girl said. "My brother has already introduced himself. I am Yuna." She indicated the silver-haired girl. "That is Paine." The silver-haired girl nodded curtly in acknowledgement. "That is Kimahri Ronso." The blue lion-like being indicated didn't nod. "And that is Undyne."

"What's up, brat?" the fish-woman asked with a grin. Tidus nearly retorted angrily that he wasn't a brat, but Undyne gave off a feeling that she was very dangerous indeed. She seemed a bit like his father, that same brusque, rough-around-the-edges manner, though there was also a more welcoming feeling to her than there ever was from his old man.

"Auron told us your name was Tidus," Yuna said.

"That's right!" Tidus said. "Umm, where are we?"

"In our home," Asriel said. "We're underground, but we're not far from Bevelle or Lake Macalania."

Those words meant nothing to Tidus, but he nodded anyway, to acknowledge that he heard it. Underground? "How the hell did we get underground? Last thing I remember, Auron was giving me some sleeping potion while we were on a boat."

"We don't know," Paine said. "Auron dropped down with you in his arms. He's currently talking with Queen Toriel. That's Asriel's mother."

"Paine, you know she doesn't like you calling her Queen Toriel. Anyway, she's your mother too," Asriel protested.

Paine sighed. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to it, after that son of a bitch killed my actual mother." On Tidus' look, she said, "My father. Auron is my uncle, and his sister was my mother. Asriel, I love Toriel, I love you all…but I cannot forget my mother."

"Neither can I, Paine," Yuna said softly. "But I can at least call Toriel mother too. It's all right. I understand."

"My mother died not so long ago," Tidus admitted. He scowled. "My father disappeared, probably died. Except Auron turns up and says that Jecht sent him."

"Auron and Jecht knew each other," Undyne said. "It's a long story, kid. You ain't gonna believe it, given the look on your mug, but your dad's a hero to Spira. So's Yuna's dad. However, your dad's missing, and Yuna's dad…well, he died trying to save the world with Jecht's help. It's a long story, and I ain't got the patience for telling it."

"Okay. Well, who are you people? What are you? I mean, Yuna and Paine, you're normal humans, but you guys…"

"Tactful, isn't he?" Paine remarked. "Kimahri doesn't come from this place originally. Neither does Yuna, or me for that matter. But Asriel here, along with Undyne, were born here. They call themselves the Fallen. They're like Fiends, only they can think for themselves."

Tidus listened as they told him of the Underground. What the hell had Auron dumped him into now?

* * *

"I see," Toriel said, pacing the living room. "You believe that, as an Unsent, your ability to channel Pyreflies will allow you, in theory, to shatter the Barrier."

"I'm surprised you haven't tried something similar," Auron said.

"Our people do not become Unsent, simply because we are a variation of Fiend already. None of our kind has the ability to channel Pyreflies consciously, though it does have some bearing on the reproduction of some of us. After all, without that, Sans and Papyrus would not exist."

"Who?"

"A pair of brothers, living skeletons. In any case, I believe artificial Pyrefly channelling was something the Royal Scientist, WD Gaster, was looking into, but he couldn't make it work. Something about diffusion at anything but too close a range to be useful. If what you say is correct, though, that may very well be moot. Though what do you ask for in return?"

"Most of my price, you have already paid: you've looked after Yuna and Paine. I want you to look after Tidus as well…as well as help me put an end to Sin, forever."

Toriel raised what would have been an eyebrow on a human. "You speak of, if not the impossible, then the near-impossible. Sin would not be an easy foe to vanquish, or else it would not come back to life. I don't believe Yevon's sanctimonious prattle about it being an embodiment of the sins of everyone. But even so, it is still the most powerful Fiend in existence, though I suspect it to be something more like an Aeon."

"Why do you say that?"

"Shortly after we were banished and sealed within the Underground, Zanarkand began losing the war against Bevelle. But Bevelle was surprised, by all accounts, to find Sin having destroyed Zanarkand. And then, there's something about what happens to Sin, how the Final Aeon, upon defeating Sin, turns upon its Summoner, invariably. There are a number of theories amongst those who study the matter. I personally think that Sin was an ultimate Aeon that got out of hand, something Yu Yevon created. But it turned on its creators."

"You are partially correct. Yu Yevon did create Sin, and as a weapon…but he wasn't killed by Sin. Not in the way you are thinking. There is precious little left of the man now. He is at the core of Sin, a parasite that infests the Final Aeons, turning them into his armour. He's not even sentient now, just a blind idiot god within the beast."

Toriel's eyes widened with horror. "He did that to himself? But why?"

"Preserving Zanarkand…and revenge against the world for trying to destroy Zanarkand, I believe. Jecht came from a Dream Zanarkand that has existed for a thousand years, a dream that is both imaginary, and yet as real as you and I. The final fantasy of a madman, and the surviving populace of Zanarkand. Even now, on Mount Gagazet, you can see a wall of Fayth, summoning Sin and Dream Zanarkand into existence. Sin has the instinct to wipe out any large settlements or large concentrations of machina. Presumably, it can't sense your settlements underground, and it doesn't attack Bevelle as often as it should."

"How do you know this?"

"I was told by the Fayth of the Aeons. Valefor, Ifrit, Ixion, Shiva, Bahamut, the Magus Sisters, Yojimbo, and Anima. They are, unfortunately, forced to dream the Dream Zanarkand too, and they are weary of it."

Toriel looked pensive at this, before she asked, "So, Jecht was from this Dream Zanarkand, but became real…and Tidus? He is like Jecht?"

"Indeed. It's not something he needs to know right away. Once he is used to what Spira is, then perhaps he can know."

"I don't like the thought of lying to children."

"We lie to children every day, and call it parenting. We tell them that there is justice and mercy in the world, when in reality, there is none, save for what little we make for ourselves. And in Spira, we grow up young. The Fayth of Bahamut never even reached his teens before he became a Fayth. Yuna's mother died when she was seven, and Paine's mother, my sister, was murdered when Paine was the same age, I am sure. I could never prove it, though, due to her killer being a Maester, the same Maester who tried to marry me off. Yuna and Paine both had to confront the reality that Yevon is filled with ambitious and vicious men, even if there are good people who believe in the tenets. Indeed, people in general are filled with the venial and vile."

"Perhaps. But there are still the virtuous in people everywhere." She closed her eyes. "Even if you do break the Barrier…will the people of Spira accept us?"

"I'm not sure. Some places may. The Al Bhed would be willing to accept help from anyone willing to work with machina. Places like Besaid and Kilika may be accepting, considering how far away they are from Bevelle, as long as you don't do much to contravene the precepts. Guadosalam may be too, but it's becoming a Yevon hotbed thanks to Jyscal's evangelism. And Luca's cosmopolitan enough, given the stadium there. The Ronso don't like suffering anyone barring Summoners on a Pilgrimage to traverse Mount Gagazet, though. And I doubt Yunalesca will suffer anyone to settle the ruins of Zanarkand. Grand Maester Mika has been a somewhat progressive Maester in that he has been allowing other peoples into the higher ranks of Yevon, or else we wouldn't have Jyscal Guado or Kelk Ronso as Maesters. But of course, the Fallen are different to most peoples of Spira. And as you do not follow the precepts of Yevon, and use machina…"

"I see. Do you think it better that we stay here?"

"Most of you. Some of you, of course, can make overtures, and some of you, I would like to be with Yuna when she undergoes her Pilgrimage. I knew her well enough that she is very like her father, full of duty to the people of Spira. Even if the Final Aeon is a sham, she would want to find a way to destroy Sin for good."

"Wouldn't she be safer down here?"

"Yes. But would she want to be?"

"…No. She is not blind to the suffering of Spira, and to be honest, neither am I. If we could do more to help, I personally would. We are lucky that our Underground prison shields us from Sin. Occasionally, Sinspawn has dropped down here, but that is all. But not all of us are content to remain here. Many yearn to emerge onto the surface, and even if they know of Sin, many wish to find a way to stop it."

"Your people are brave. If they are like Fiends, they would dissipate after death, unable to be revived by Life magic or a Phoenix Down."

"That is indeed the case, unless one is quick. Undyne is one of our best warriors, despite being in training. And while you haven't met Sans yet, he is surprisingly powerful, despite his laziness. When a Great Malboro entered our realm, he annihilated it within seconds of engaging it."

Auron had to admit, he was impressed. "An Overdrive attack?"

"I've never asked him. Sans is lazy, but I enjoy his jokes. Though you would probably groan at them."

"I suppose everyone has their quirks," Auron said. "Before I died, mine was, in Jecht's words rather than mine, the ten-foot stick up somewhere inconvenient. I am being…euphemistic out of politeness' sake. Jecht was a very crude man."

"Well, I hope his son knows better manners," Toriel said.

"While he's not better-mannered, he's better natured," Auron said. "Yuna, I hope, will be a good influence on him, and vice-versa."

Toriel nodded. "We will discuss your offer with my husband when he gets back. If you can manage this, we will be in your debt, Auron."

"I am already in yours for looking after Yuna and Paine. The only thing I ask, as I said, is to look after Tidus, and help me plan a way to stop Sin for once and for all."

"You already have a plan, of sorts, don't you?"

"Yes. But it's still a work in progress."

Toriel smiled. "Then perhaps we can refine it together…"

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Auron and Tidus are getting to know the Fallen. One of the key problems with doing an** ** _Undertale_** **fanfic, especially if one wants to set it before the story of the game, is keeping the monsters down in the Underground. I thought** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **and the Pyreflies (being souls of a sort) would be a good solution. My original intention, with a** ** _Final Fantasy VII_** **crossover, would have used Lifestream instead.**

 **The next chapter will have a timeskip of about two years. Yes, I'm rushing things a little, but I want to get to the meat of the story. There will be a series of timeskips, giving the feel of vignettes of their lives prior to the events of _Final Fantasy X_.  
**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	5. Chapter 4: Besaid the Point

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **BESAID THE POINT**

 _Two years later_ …

Even now, it was a novelty to look up at the dark expanse of sky, and see the stars. Asriel often went stargazing at night, as did Undyne and Sans. The villagers commented on it, but thankfully, that was all they commented on. It had taken them a long time to stop commenting about their appearance, though. Well, once the Fallen had worked up the courage to remove the illusion charms they had been wearing. Sans never could: he knew the villagers wouldn't react well to a walking, talking skeleton, while Undyne and Asriel weren't truly that sinister…Undyne's shark-like features aside. But the Besaid villagers, after a time, decided to accept them. It certainly helped that Yuna and Tidus vouched for them, and that Undyne had been helping to train the Aurochs. That, between Undyne and Tidus' help, the Aurochs had started winning more games, helped matters as well.

Yuna, Tidus, Kimahri, and the three Fallen who had come to reside here had become part of a small but substantial group of friends that included three other residents of Besaid, all older than Yuna, Tidus, and Asriel. Two of them were brothers native to Besaid, with tanned skin and red hair, and the distinctive Besaid accent that included ending sentences in 'ya?' Wakka, a burly, rooster-haired Blitzball player, was the older, and Chappu, who was not unlike Tidus in many regards, albeit not a Blitzball player, was the younger.

The third was not a native of Besaid, though she was treated like one. Lulu was actually a distant relative of Paine, albeit on her father's side, having the same red eyes and pale complexion, albeit with black hair instead of silver. Like Paine, she had a serious, no-nonsense demeanour that Sans loved to aggravate with bad puns. Asriel had to wonder at her dress sense, though, comprising of a fur-lined dress cut in such a way that it was in perpetual danger of exposing her breasts. She was a highly skilled Black Mage for a human, though. Sadly, Lulu had just gotten back from being the Guardian to Lady Ginnem, a Summoner who perished near the Calm Lands, and Chappu had been comforting her for the last few days. The two had been lovers for a couple of years now.

Speaking of lovers, while Tidus and Yuna weren't at that point yet, they were getting closer. After the initial shock of learning he was, apparently, a thousand years into his own future, Tidus adapted pretty well. Before the Barrier was destroyed by Auron, Tidus actually trained in Blitzball under Undyne, who played it as a hobby. He was a damned good player now, and was a key player in the Besaid Aurochs. Hell, he even managed to figure out how to use his father's Jecht Shot during the last game they played in Luca.

Asriel had mixed feelings about Tidus and Yuna being together. True, he viewed Yuna as more of a sister than as potential girlfriend material, but there was something about the revelation that had Asriel feeling a little jealous. But by the same token, Tidus was a friend, and a good friend at that. He was brash and reckless at times, but a better friend you'd be hard-pressed to find. Tidus didn't care that Asriel looked like a human goat. Even after Asriel used his Overdrive for the first time to stop some rampaging Sinspawn, Tidus didn't shun him, and neither did Yuna or Kimahri. Many of the other villagers kept their distance for a time afterwards, though, having seen him transform into a taller version of himself, wielding Chaos Sabres to tear apart the Sinspawn. Even Sans, though he didn't shun Asriel, remarked something along the lines of never wanting to piss Asriel off.

Asriel sighed quietly, even as he looked up at the stars. He heard the person coming up behind them, and turned to face them. "Howdy, Lulu. Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

Lulu shook her head. "I sent Chappu back home. I needed some space. But then, I saw you leaving your own home. Is stargazing still that much a novelty for you?"

"Yes. We didn't really have a sky, after all. Oh, we had caverns so big, they had their own weather in miniature, and gemstones that acted like stars, but…" Asriel looked up at the sky. "Until a couple of years ago, many of us have never seen the sky. Undyne, Sans, myself…"

It had been over a week of celebration that took place when Auron used the Pyreflies stored within him to break the Barrier. It took another couple of weeks to decide what to do next. And Asriel insisted on accompanying Yuna, Kimahri, and Tidus to Besaid Island. After some heated discussion with his parents, and the development of the illusion charms by Alphys to make them seem human, they finally agreed. Asgore and Toriel had remained in the Underground for the time being, as most of the Fallen wished to stay in their homes. Yes, they went up to the surface, but given the problems of Sin, well…

In order to ensure their protection, Asgore and Toriel assigned Undyne and Sans to protect Asriel, along with Yuna and Tidus. Undyne was told to view this as part of her Royal Guard training, to whit: being the bodyguard of Asriel, as well as being the ambassador to the Fallen. She took to the challenge with her usual gusto. Sans was one of the more powerful Fallen, and while he could work in guarding the Underground from Fiends and any potential invaders, Toriel felt that they had enough people in the Underground to protect it, with Auron staying behind to help. In any case, Sans also had an unusual ability, to teleport anywhere he wished. If something did happen in the Underground, he could be there in the blink of an eye.

Alphys and Mettaton, along with Paine and Papyrus, were liaising between the Al Bhed and the Fallen. Although understandably suspicious at first, the Al Bhed eventually accepted the help of their new allies, and their understanding of machina was growing by leaps and bounds. It was thanks to that that Yuna finally was able to, albeit covertly, talk to her uncle and her cousins for the first time: Cid, Rikku, and Brother respectively. Indeed, Asriel, Yuna, Kimahri and Sans, while Tidus and Undyne were in Luca, headed to Bikanel Island, and met them. Cid had all but demanded that Yuna not become a Summoner, but she had refused. That being said, she also pointed out that she intended to find a way to stop Sin without sacrificing her life, or at least make sure that if she did, Sin died permanently. Cid remarked that she had her mother's fire, the fire of Cid's sister.

Rikku was an enthusiastic and cheerful girl, one who got along well with Alphys. Indeed, Rikku helped Alphys get out of her shell more than Undyne or anyone else had. Alphys had gone to Luca at the time to meet her lover, and Undyne had commented on Alphys' growing confidence when she got back to Besaid. Rikku being Alphys' friend helped.

Brother was brusque and brash, and somewhat mistrusting of outsiders. He also seemed jealous of Tidus and Yuna's relationship (or perhaps he was protective of his cousin). But he was a decent enough guy, and just as passionate about machina as Rikku and Alphys were. Oddly enough, he got along with the equally enthusiastic and loud Papyrus, Sans' younger brother.

"I suppose we take it for granted. Or we don't look up at it enough," Lulu said quietly. "Sin hangs over our heads. But…you're doing something about it, aren't you?"

Asriel frowned when he looked at Lulu, who smiled gently. "Neither Chappu or myself are as oblivious as the other villagers, or Wakka. We know you use machina, even if you hide it. While I disapprove, Chappu and I are not like the other followers of Yevon. Chappu has become discontent with their teachings, especially with Wakka regurgitating them all the time. He was actually angry when he learned that Yuna had become an apprentice Summoner."

That was true. Yuna had decided to start training as a Summoner, shortly before Lulu became Guardian to Ginnem. In fact, Lulu had become a Guardian, hoping that her expedition with Ginnem would mean Yuna wouldn't have to sacrifice herself. "Why do you disapprove of us using machina, Lulu?"

"Simply because Sin is drawn to them. Even without the teachings and precepts of Yevon, one can see that Sin is drawn to machina. The Crusaders frequently have to defend Luca and the stadium from Sin, despite the Blitzball machina being one of the few things allowed by Yevon. We also know you went to Bikanel Island, where the Al Bhed live. We kept silent, simply because I knew Yuna's mother was an Al Bhed, and it was her business. In any case, the machina you use here is small enough to escape notice from Sin, I am sure, though if Wakka saw it, or any of the others, it'd be a different matter."

"Why are you talking to me about this, Lulu?"

"A number of reasons. After what happened to Lady Ginnem, and with Yuna training to become a Summoner, I'm not sure what to make of the world anymore. Father Zuke at the temple is considering going on a Pilgrimage of his own. Yuna and Tidus make a show of following the precepts, as do you, Undyne, and Sans. But I know you don't believe them. I'm curious, what do you actually believe?"

The question was unexpected to Asriel. What did he actually believe in? He looked up into the skies. "I…I don't really believe in anything religious. There was a religion around an Angel back home, but, well…we got what we always wanted when the Barrier was removed. But there's some things I do believe in. That there's good people, and bad people, no matter what they look like or whether they're part of Yevon or not. I also believe that Sin is not an embodiment of our sins, but an extremely powerful Fiend."

"But it comes back."

"We have a few theories on that." More than a theory, anyway. His mother had told him, and the others, about Yu Yevon, about Dream Zanarkand, and Tidus' true origins shortly before they left for Besaid. This had, understandably, left Tidus shaken. There had even been a brief but acrimonious row. Thankfully, they had patched things up before they left. None of them wanted to say things that might be regretted should they die at the hands of a Fiend, or of Sin. Though Tidus voiced some worries to his friends about what would happen when Sin was vanquished. After all, if Sin and Dream Zanarkand were connected…

"Then why not stop Sin now?" Lulu asked.

"We aren't ready yet. We'll be working on it when Yuna goes on her Pilgrimage. One thing we learned in the Underground, Lulu, was patience."

Lulu scoffed. "The way Undyne acts, you'll forgive me for disbelieving you."

Asriel chuckled. Undyne was an impulsive woman, to say the least. And she had about as much depth of patience as a puddle. But she was loyal, energetic, and woe betide the person who hurt someone she cared about. "Yeah. But getting rid of Sin forever is a big undertaking, even if it is just a big Fiend. And we want to be sure it's gone for good."

"Asriel…I don't doubt your sincerity. And while the teachings tell me that what you speak is heresy, my mind and heart know that if there is something with even the slightest chance of banishing Sin for good, then it should be tried. But you Fallen were vanquished by the rest of Spira into the Underground, from what you and the others told me," Lulu said quietly. "You could have stayed Underground, and in my eyes, at least, you would have been justified in doing so, given the wrongs we have done to you."

"Not to you personally, Lulu. Most of the Fallen are peaceful. We were, mostly, before the war between Zanarkand and Bevelle blew up, from what my mother told me, but being forced Underground forced us to adopt a more peaceful way of life. If we killed each other in civil war, what would there be left of us? In truth, Fallen's souls are held together by stronger, more compassionate emotions than it is with other beings. And we were able to see the suffering of Spira, Lulu. It galled us that we couldn't do anything about it. Yuna and Paine gave us hope, a hope that was fulfilled. And Yuna wants to save Spira, to finish what her father intended to do. And for all her quiet, gentle ways, you can't stop her once she gets an idea into her head. That's probably why she and Undyne get along."

Lulu chuckled sadly. "Yes. I can say the same of Chappu. He's getting restless, considering joining the Crusaders. But with the reports that they have been working with the Al Bhed and using machina weapons, well, you can tell how well that idea is going down with Wakka."

"Wakka's a good guy, but he's too fixated on the precepts of Yevon," Asriel said. "I mean, imagine how he'd feel learning that Yuna's half Al Bhed."

"It'd be a disaster, to say the least," Lulu said mildly.

"Of course. Lulu, rest assured, one thing we are agreed on is helping Yuna, right?"

Lulu nodded. "So you are asking us to trust you on that regard?"

"Yes. If our only thought was keeping Yuna safe, we would have just kept her in the Underground."

Lulu smiled gently. "And I doubt she would have remained there willingly. Asriel, do not misunderstand me. I do actually trust you, Undyne, and Sans. But I don't like not knowing what's going on, something I'm sure you can understand."

"I do, Lulu. And I trust you too, which was why I said all those things."

With that, the conversation was over. Lulu, after a moment, said, "Thank you for this talk. Maybe I can get some sleep. Goodnight, Asriel. Enjoy your stargazing."

She walked off into the night, while Asriel did just that. He had to stop himself from jumping when he heard the deep voice of Sans. "Took a bit of a risk there, Asriel. Not saying it was the wrong thing to do. If anything, it was the right thing to do."

"You were listening in, Sans?"

"Only to part of it. I needed to take a break from stargazing, what with all the planets I was seeing. Didn't want an overdose of Mercury, I had more than my fair share of seeing Uranus, as that Mars my enjoyment. I had enough of Saturn down on the ground, anyway."

Asriel groaned. "You know, when I said get some new material, that implies you _improve_ in quality."

"Kid, even if your father felt so inclined, he couldn't order me to stop using puns, and he's the king of our people. My brother can't stop me, Undyne, Yuna, Tidus, Paine, they can't stop me, and your mother won't stop me, seeing as she's my partner in crimes against preconceived notions of hilarity. What makes you think you can?" Sans said with that perpetual grin of his.

"Maybe I should confiscate your ketchup stash."

"I'd like to see you try. But seriously, Asriel, I'm glad you talked to Lulu. We need these people's help when the time comes to stop Sin. The thing I'm worried about is that Guado hotshot priest who's coming as an envoy to the Underground."

Asriel had to admit it, he was worried too. Bevelle hadn't made much in the way of overtures towards the Underground, but they couldn't be completely oblivious to it. Yuna and Paine had, after all, emerged after years of being missing. The Guado priest being sent to see his parents was, in theory, being sent as an envoy of the Guado rather than of Yevon. But one couldn't discount the possibility of the priest being Yevon's catspaw, especially as he was the son of one of the Maesters. And as Guado were capable of summoning Fiends, it meant that there was a slim possibility that they could affect the Fallen. Asriel hoped his parents would be all right when they met this envoy, because if this envoy tried anything, he would hunt the envoy down.

And Asriel Dreemurr would make sure Seymour Guado would pay…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, hope you liked that. In all likelihood, the next chapter won't be until the Christmas Update.**

 **Most of the following chapters will be vignettes leading up to a different version of the events of** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **. And despite Asriel's fears, Seymour will not be an antagonist in this story. He won't be the more heroic version seen in** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **, or the sympathetic but villainous version seen in Cycle of Sin, but rather, somewhere between the two. While he will be a rather ruthless man, he will be gradually breaking out of his nihilistic mindset from the game, and will be an ally to the heroes. Indeed, the main antagonists of this story will be Yevon (specifically Kinoc and Mika), Sin, and Yunalesca.**

 **Review-answering time! I answered most of the pertinent reviews in correspondence, but Have a Little Feith asked me how I would do a Harry Potter crossover with** ** _Undertale_** **. At the time, I speculated, but now, I believe I have come up with a remotely original plot, at least as far as Harry Potter crossovers with** ** _Undertale_** **are concerned. It takes a few elements from** ** _Haemophilia_** **and** ** _Verdant Magic_** **, but it certainly is different to just about every other Harry Potter and** ** _Undertale_** **crossover. I intend to post the first chapter in** ** _The Cauldron_** **at the same time as this chapter goes up. It's called** ** _Underground Champion_** **. If feedback is positive, I may post it as a full story during the Christmas Update.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	6. Chapter 5: Seymour in the Underground

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **SEYMOUR IN THE UNDERGROUND**

Seymour had to confess, he was curious about this. His father had sent him here, officially to enter into negotiations for trade with the Underground. Unofficially, however, he was here to spy on them, discern how much of a threat the Fallen posed, and whether they were heathens. After all, there were some vague reports of contact between the Underground and the Al Bhed. Of course, there were few people allowed into the Underground, and Seymour, in his own way, felt privileged.

That didn't help alleviate the dark thoughts roiling around in his mind. Thoughts that had been there since he had been banished to Baaj Temple, thoughts which had multiplied when his mother became the Fayth of Anima, the Dark Aeon. Spira was caught in a spiral of sorrow, death, and destruction. And he wasn't sure what could alleviate such suffering, beyond the death of all who dwelt in Spira.

In a way, one of the reasons he had agreed to be his father's envoy to the Underground was because he hoped he might find a solution here. He doubted that it would be served up on a platter here, but hope, that most insidious of poisons, was working its dark magic.

Hope…Yunalesca's most deadly weapon. Perpetual hope of a brighter tomorrow, but the promised result is never delivered on. How many High Summoners have there been now? Counting Yunalesca as the very first, five. He remembered the lessons from his father, the statues in Macalania Temple. Gandof, Ohalland, Yocun, and Braska. But along with them, dead comrades, Guardians, who became the Final Aeon, like his mother. He only knew two of those: Zaon had become Yunalesca's Final Aeon, while Braska's had probably been Jecht.

As they were escorted through the corridors of the house (it was technically a palace, but the interior was more like a normal house, which was oddly reassuring), Seymour kept an eye out for machina. While he didn't notice anything that violated the precepts, he did notice odd bare patches on some of the furniture. Nothing so blatant as dusty furniture with clean patches, but there was clearly a few things absent. Of course, one had to be paying attention.

Eventually, they came to a room filled with magnificent yellow flowers, which a pair of Fallen were tending to. Both looked like humanoid goats. One was definitely the king, with a cape draped over much of his body, and a crown on his horned head. However, he also seemed to have blonde hair as well as white fur, the former forming a beard. The other was a woman, presumably the queen, with shorter horns, and dressed in a tabard with a distinctive symbol on them: a trio of triangles, arranged underneath a winged sign.

They took notice of Seymour's arrival, and the man said, "Howdy! You must be the envoy from Guadosalam."

"Asgore, a little more decorum in front of him," the woman hissed quietly.

Seymour tittered, despite himself. "It is perfectly fine. No offence is taken. In truth, it is refreshing to relax some of the more spurious trappings of etiquette. I am Seymour Guado. I have been sent by my father, Lord Jyscal Guado, Maester of Yevon, and leader of the Guado people. You are the rulers of the Fallen?"

Asgore nodded. "Indeed. I am King Asgore Dreemurr, and this is my lovely wife, Toriel. Our son is currently abroad."

"Yes, Asriel Dreemurr. I have heard of his accompanying Yuna to Besaid, along with others. The son of Sir Jecht and that Undyne woman have certainly shaken up the Blitzball scene. The Guado Glories believe that the Besaid Aurochs have been renewed by those two, much to their chagrin, though the Luca Goers are rather more annoyed about this."

The two laughed, before Asgore said, "Would you like tea? Golden Flower Tea is a specialty of the Underground."

Seymour knew that they wouldn't risk poisoning an envoy, especially not one as closely connected to a Maester. Not unless they thought they truly could get away with it. "Yes, I would."

* * *

As she set out tea on the table, Toriel took the opportunity to scrutinise their guest. Guados in general tended to have green or brown hair, with longer arms than usual with claw-like fingernails. This one had blue hair, and a rather large shock of it. His features were handsome, even beautiful, though they were marred by a perpetual, vaguely insincere smile that seemed to be there to hide pain and dark thoughts. His face was also marred by a network of blue lines on his face, like scars, though they seemed naturally grown rather than inflicted. His eyes were violet, dancing with both mirth and sorrow.

"It must be hard, having a Maester as a father," Asgore opined as he took his tea.

"True, but there have been greater hardships in my life," Seymour said. "I am only half-Guado. My mother was a human by the name of Anima. Her marriage to my father caused controversy enough, but when I was born…well, there was considerable unrest. When I was young, my father saw fit to exile me to Baaj Temple, along with my mother."

"That was rather heartless of him," Toriel observed.

"I do not dispute that, Your Majesty."

"Toriel, please. I don't mind respect, but excessive deference is another matter."

"It is far from excessive, but if you insist." Seymour took a sip from his cup, and then smiled. "My word, this is actually rather nice. Now, where was I? I shall not bore you with the details of my exile. My mother died, and became an Aeon. While I am a Summoner, I could not fulfil the Pilgrimage. That honour fell to Lord Braska. Seven years ago, my exile was revoked, and I was allowed to return to Guadosalam. I am currently High Priest of Macalania Temple, the residence of the Fayth of Shiva. Many wish for me to succeed to my father's position when he shuffles off this mortal coil, though Maester Mika has the final say. It was he, after all, who appointed my father and Kelk Ronso to their positions."

"I'm curious," Asgore said as Seymour took another sip of Golden Flower Tea. "Do you come as envoy of one of the Maesters of Yevon, or of the leader of the Guado?"

"My word, you are perceptive. To be perfectly honest, I believe it was the latter," Seymour said. "Most of Yevon, never mind Spira, doesn't know of your existence. In truth, those who are in the know are tied up in committees ordered by Mika. He's taking a wait and see approach, to my knowledge."

 _He's probably deciding whether to send in the Warrior Monks to exterminate us, or else send in the priests to try and convert us to Yevon_ , Toriel thought.

"So it's as the Guado's representative that you have come here today," Asgore said. "Thank you for clarifying this. In diplomacy, and indeed, in life in general, one has to wear many masks. So, what does Guadosalam wish from us?"

"A general trade treaty of goods. Guadosalam makes it home in a cavern with the roots of trees forming the walls, and we are loathe to harm the trees to get to needed minerals like Mythril and the like. In addition, we are known in Spira for our medicines and potions, and were curious about what remedies you have to offer, and whether you need some yourself. We also wonder whether you have any foodstuffs and the like that may be of interest to us. I certainly find this Golden Flower Tea a worthy potential import. And, of course, we can offer the same in return. In addition, should any Fallen wish to undertake a pilgrimage to Guadosalam, we can offer entrance to the Farplane if you wish to see loved ones. You are aware of our entrance to the Farplane?"

"Yes," Toriel said. "I once made an excursion there in my youth to see my grandparents. This was before we were sealed, you understand. We considered making our own entrance to the Farplane once sealed away, but the Barrier prevented us from doing so. And in truth, we have our own customs for the dead. When we Fallen perish, we turn to dust, and we take that dust, and scatter it all over a favoured item or place. When my husband and I perish, though that won't be for some time I hope, we wish to have our remains scattered over our favourite flowers."

"An interesting custom. But back to the matter at hand. This visit is not about establishing a formal treaty. Merely making informal agreements. That, and the fact is, I am genuinely curious about the Fallen. They spoke of you in legends in Guadosalam, though few credited them with any verisimilitude. So to learn that your existence was no myth…"

"Did you ask your father to be able to come here?"

Seymour, after a moment, nodded. "I have to confess, my father and I do not get along, given our history. I still hold more than a little bitterness in my heart given how he treated my mother and I. Yes, I understand why he did it, but I believe that the exile hastened my mother's end. I wished to get away from both Guadosalam and my duties at Macalania Temple, even if only for a short time. You must understand, the re-emergence of the Fallen is something truly novel to Spira, and if one looks at the realities of Spira, novelty is sorely lacking, along with true hope."

"That's a rather pessimistic viewpoint, Seymour," Asgore said. "There's a saying universal to all peoples of Spira: while there's life, there's hope."

"Yes, I know. But where there's life, there's sorrow too," Seymour said solemnly, the smile dropping from his face briefly, before it reappeared. "Forgive me. I did not wish to be so maudlin towards such hospitable people."

"No, no, it's certainly hard living with Sin hanging over your heads," Toriel said gently. She realised, as had her husband, that a mask had just slipped from Seymour's face. This was a man who had lost hope, she realised. The smile was camouflage, to hide the emptiness inside. Seymour could be a very dangerous enemy…or perhaps, given time, a powerful ally.

"Indeed, but let us not talk of such things," Seymour said, recovering. "After we talk business, I would like to know more about your people…"

* * *

"I love all the attention, darlings, but I don't like feeling like I'm a slab of meat left to bait wolves," Mettaton said to the nearby Al Bhed. The robot with the black and pink exoskeleton, androgynous and beautiful features, and the mind and soul of a ghost Fallen, was at a bench in one of the workshops in Home (not the Home in the Underground, but the Home of the Al Bhed on Bikanel Island), alongside his 'creator', Alphys.

The bald-headed Cid, leader of the Al Bhed, roared with laughter, and said to the others, " _Oui raynt res! Pylg uvv. Ra'c rambehk Alphys eh etahdevoehk yht esbnujehk dra machina, yht ra'c hud vun dygehk ybynd!_ "

One of them, the boisterous Brother, rolled his eyes. " _Ruf tu fa ghuf ra'c ajah y kio?_ _Muug yd druca cruac. Ra ryc_ _ **raamc!**_ "

Mettaton retorted in Al Bhed, " _E's lusvundypma fedr dra fyo E muug. Yht E fuimth'd pa caah tayt fedr y suryfg._ "

Alphys winced as Brother roared expletives in Al Bhed. "Mettaton, please don't p-provoke them."

"Alphys, they're making me uncomfortable. Now, I love being the centre of attention, but they seem like they want to take me apart. And my internal workings work best when they **stay** internal."

"Well, you're probably the first machina any of them have seen that can think and talk like you do," Rikku said. The blonde-haired girl had a perpetually cheerful demeanour, her green eyes having the distinctive spiral iris of the Al Bhed. To Brother, she said, sharply, " _Oui'na sygehk dras ihlusvundypma. Lyh oui mad dras fung eh bayla?_ "

Brother huffed, before the Mohawk-wearing Al Bhed strode away. Mettaton sniffed. "A Mohawk and coveralls and goggles. Even by Al Bhed standards, he's a fashion disaster. He's worse than Papyrus. Thank goodness that skeleton is off making spaghetti with Paine."

"Mettaton…" Alphys groaned.

"Leaving aside the insulting camp robot," Cid said, "what're you actually doing?"

"Improving your computer systems, for the m-most part," Alphys said as she returned to work at her computer terminal, Mettaton working on his own. "You've done extremely well with salvaged computers, b-but, understandably, it's a bit of a hodge-podge."

"Wouldn't your computers be way in advance of ours, though?" Rikku asked.

"N-No. There's a few problems with that. The first is a lack of resources. While we could mine out the Underground to a degree, there's only so much we could do before we hit the Barrier, or else start consuming resources we need for other things. The second is that we found computer systems that have served us very well during our exile. I believe the t-term is 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'."

"Of more use to here and now, these systems have encrypted archival data," Mettaton said, his voice losing some of its camp tone, and becoming more serious. "Now, as you know, back when these things were common across Spira, people used them for all sorts of things. A common use was for pornography of various kinds."

"M-METTATON!" Alphys yelped, scandalised.

"Look, darling, I know you have an entire folder of photos of Undyne, which she willingly sat for. It helps keep you comfy on lonely nights," Mettaton said with a smirk. "I don't judge, to each their own and all that. And she's a beautiful lady if you're into fish girls with a kink for plate armour."

"Whereas you're a flamboyant and camp robot with a ghost inside you," Rikku snarked.

"What can I say? I love being beautiful, and sharing that beauty with the world! Ah, if only Yevon weren't around, I would share it with the world with abandon!" Mettaton said. His smirk fell. "But let's get serious again. All those encrypted files may include something interesting, like a cache of technology. Neither the Fallen nor the Al Bhed have the very best of machina. A lot of stuff either Bevelle or Zanarkand had, and Sin of course put paid to a lot. I know you guys are looking for an airship of some kind, not to mention machina weaponry, so that you can put paid to Sin. Some of these records are encrypted so that you see locations of caches, but not necessarily what's there. With our help, you may just be able to find out not only exactly where some old tech is, but what it is too."

Alphys nodded. "We've g-got some good decryption programs and automated hacking programs."

"So have we. We had to develop them pretty much from scratch," Rikku said. "But any little bit helps, you know?"

Alphys nodded again, before she returned to her work. Embarrassments aside, it was fascinating work, and the Al Bhed were relieved to find that the Fallen had the same attitude to machina they did. The Al Bhed were still a little wary of these outsiders, but a bond of cooperation was forming.

They'd need all the allies they could get to stop Sin, though. That was what mattered…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, we've got the Dreemurrs meeting Seymour, and Alphys and Mettaton at Bikanel. Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will focus more in Yuna and Tidus, but there won't be much of a timeskip for the next chapter. Just a few days at most.**

 **The next chapter may not be posted until the Christmas Update. Yes, I know I said that last time. Deal with it.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Have a Little Feith** **: Well, Sans** ** _would_** **have a ketchup stash. As for Pyreflies being in space, well, I doubt it. They'd barely be in the upper atmosphere.**

 **Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros** **: I'm glad you enjoyed it. And Seymour's role will be a bit more pivotal in this story. He will be basically their main ally in Yevon, and willing to do some dirty tricks.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: What did I say about posting story ideas in** ** _Ex Umbra in Solem_** **? You claim to be sorry in upsetting me, and yet, here you are, doing it** ** _again_** **despite my request that you stop. It is NOT okay with me. Not only that, but I deleted another copy of your review/story pimping that you posted. Stop it now. Keep the reviews for reviews only. No story ideas, no story suggestions, and no questions that are irrelevant to the story that you are posting a review for. I don't answer reviews in** ** _The Cauldron_** **anyway. I had no intention of making** ** _Shadows Games and Philosophers' Stones_** **into a full story, and now, I have even less inclination to do so. Keep this up, and I will immediately delete every review you make. Am I understood?**

 **Saul'keth** **: Thanks. One challenge I find while writing** ** _Undertale_** **fanfics is that I really want Asriel (and, where relevant, Chara) to be alive and well, either at the beginning or by the end. That, plus the freeing of the monsters from the Underground, often means some need for a soul manipulation or something. I have ideas, but whether they make good stories is another matter, obviously. I'm hoping to have another** ** _Undertale_** **fic ready for the Christmas Update, but unfortunately, none of my ideas are panning out. And no, that is not an invitation for you, or for any of my readers, to send me any.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: Burdens Shared

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **BURDENS SHARED**

There was something about Undyne that reminded Tidus of his father. They had the same belligerent attitude and energy. But unlike Jecht, Undyne had a more encouraging air. She never insulted you in the way Jecht did. Jecht insulted to hold Tidus back, while Undyne used insults like a spur, to encourage Tidus. They did little more than sting: Tidus was used to Undyne, and knew that the fish woman was a good-natured person beneath it.

It was mostly thanks to Undyne that the Besaid Aurochs had, after being the butt of the Spiran Blitzball League for years, won a championship. Tidus helped as well: his upbringing helped him know a number of Blitzball tactics and techniques that the Aurochs didn't know about. And when he managed to figure out how to do the Jecht Shot…well, that's when the tides really turned.

Having finished another training session, Undyne and Tidus were heading back to the village late one afternoon. They'd set out after the others had gone, because Undyne wanted to talk to Tidus alone.

"So, what's eating you, Tidus?" Undyne said as they walked along the paths to the village.

"Besides Fiends?" Tidus asked, as Undyne idly flung one of her magically-synthesised spears at a Dingo, which dissolved into a cloud of Pyreflies.

"Hah! You're better than Sans at jokes. You should give him pointers. But seriously, what's bugging you?"

Tidus eventually said, "You know why."

"Oh, you mean that whole thing about you being a living dream? Don't let that get to you." Undyne scoffed. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking. ' _Easy for you to say_ '. Probably is. But just 'cause you're a living dream doesn't make you any less real than any of us."

"It's not that, Undyne. What happens to dreams when the dreamer wakes up?" He winced. He hadn't meant to blurt that out.

"…I see. You're worried that, because Sin's linked to Dream Zanarkand, if it goes bye-bye, so do you, right?" Tidus nodded hesitantly. Undyne sighed quietly. "I ain't good with the deep and meaningful crap. I leave that stuff to Alphy. Look, we'll think of something. Asgore and Toriel said they had some sort of idea. And I trust them. Besides, if you do fade away, I'll go wherever the hell you go to, and drag you back to reality, kicking and screaming. I don't wanna see Yuna cry because you faded away."

Tidus chuckled slightly at that. Undyne probably would do that. "There's also something else," Tidus admitted. "Yuna's started her Summoner apprenticeship as you know. And you know what that means."

"Yeah. The King and Queen, along with Auron and the Al Bhed are still nutting out the plan to stop Sin," Undyne said. "But the Pilgrimage is still pretty damn dangerous. Look at what happened to Ginnem. That girl Lulu was devastated. You've got Fiends of all kinds, not to mention the politics involved. And Yuna's gotta live up to the expectations of her dad. And there's all the crap we're doing with the Al Bhed, which is sure to go down well with Yevon if and when it comes out, _not_. Yuna's under a lot of pressure in the end. Girl might be a wimp physically, but she's got a fire in her soul. Speaking of, her training for the day will be over soon, so…just be there for her, okay? Summoners make it look so easy, but it's pretty tough training."

"Okay, I will," Tidus said. "I try to be there for her, anyway. Same with the others. Wakka, Chappu, Kimahri, Lulu, and of course, there's us, Sans, and Asriel."

"Yeah. Luzzu caught wind of my abilities, and wants me to help him train any Crusader recruits." Undyne shrugged. "Wakka doesn't like that, given how the Crusaders have been rumoured to work with the Al Bhed, but given what Chappu intends to do, well, Wakka's told me to train him where possible, to get him into shape." Undyne imitated Wakka's voice. " _Get him into fightin' shape, ya?_ "

Tidus laughed. "Wakka's all right, he's just got to lose his little tunnel vision where it comes to anything involving machina and the Al Bhed."

"Yeah, I'll give him that. Plus, he's a great Blitzball player when he puts his mind to it. We'd better hurry, or we'll be late for grub. And remember what I said, Tidus."

* * *

Once they got back, Undyne and Tidus headed to their respective houses. Undyne lived with Asriel and Sans, while Tidus lived with Yuna and Kimahri. Undyne had improved her cooking skills since leaving the Underground, and was now one of the better cooks in Besaid. And despite being a fish, she had no issue with catching and eating seafood. She pointed out her sharp teeth and bluntly said that she was a shark with arms and legs when Asriel pointed it out to her. She preferred pasta, though, to fish.

Tidus had scarcely gotten back when Yuna shuffled in, Kimahri escorting her gently. "Hey, you okay, Yuna?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Yuna said with a smile. "Thanks to my mother, I have a headstart in learning how to use White Magic and perform Sendings, but the way Yevon performs the latter means I have to learn from the beginning. And, of course, I have to meditate. Even with what Mother taught me, it is rather hard. And there's learning the precepts and scriptures."

"Much is placed on Yuna's shoulders," Kimahri rumbled.

"I know," Tidus said. "That's why we're there for her, right?"

Kimahri smiled, nodding. The grim, stoic Ronso was reserved, more so than Lulu, but he and Tidus had, if not a friendship, then a mutual understanding and camaraderie. They trusted each other. "First true test of Summoner is communing with Fayth," the Ronso remarked. "After that, many more tests. But expectations made of Yuna because of Braska."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But Yuna's strong enough. Aren't you, Yuna?" Tidus asked.

The half-Al Bhed nodded, smiling. "One thing that is important is to draw strength from both within and without," she said. "Both of my fathers and Toriel said this. Sometimes, I wish I could be stronger, like Kimahri, or Undyne."

"You're stronger than you know," Tidus said. He and Yuna sat down next to each other on the floor of the hut, the latter leaning into him. He put an arm around her shoulder. "And you've got us," he added quietly. "You've got friends and family willing to help share your burden."

"Thank you. I just…worry. The Pilgrimage is still dangerous. And I worry about the Fallen, if they get on the wrong side of Yevon. The Dreemurrs have been my family for nearly a decade, and I do not wish to jeopardise that."

A light chuckle from the doorway of the hut heralded the appearance of Asriel, his hircine(1) features set in a gentle smirk of amusement. "We're not that fragile, Yuna. Sorry I had to come and be the gooseberry here, but Undyne's in one of her cooking moods, and we decided we needed to evacuate so that we don't go deaf from her battle cries. Sans is talking to Wakka and Chappu. So, you two gonna make out?"

Tidus spluttered indignantly, while Yuna blushed. Kimahri's mouth twitched briefly into a leonine smirk. Asriel merely laughed. "By the way, Muffet's apparently on her way to visit," he said.

"Muffet?" Yuna asked. She remembered the rather childish Spider Queen and her bake sales. The food she sold was quite good, though one had to remember that she frequently baked her own spiders into them. Yuna had gotten along well enough with Muffet, though, and they kept in touch after leaving the Underground. Indeed, because her spiders had their own way of communicating after she spread them throughout Spira, Muffet was becoming the Underground's de facto spymaster. "So did she team up with O'aka?"

"Rather successfully, believe it or not," Asriel said. "Her baked goods were a surprising hit at the latest local Blitzball game. She's looking to set up a fixed shop with O'aka in Luca. She's got more capital than him, after all. He knows people in Spira, and she's got the money, and they both have products."

"Better hope she doesn't feed him or any customers to her pet," Tidus said, remembering the massive spider, like a muffin with legs and a massive maw, with a shudder. Muffet was nice to him, true, but she had a skewed moral compass, to say the very least.

"She's coming here to catch up, as well as peddle some goods in Besaid along with O'aka," Asriel said. "And she prefers feeding Fiends to Muffin. Apparently they're better for him. They don't repeat on him as much." Muffin being the name of Muffet's monstrous pet. "That being said, she very nearly fed Bickson to Muffin when he annoyed her."

"Wait, Bickson…" Tidus mused. "You mean the captain of the Luca Goers?"

"Yep. She just managed to control herself, and used some snark instead."

Tidus stifled his schadenfreude at the revelation. While Muffet feeding people to a massive spider monster was no joke, the Goers were a fairly arrogant Blitzball team, and Bickson, the current captain of the Goers, was an arsehole. Even when the Aurochs began to win their games, even against the Goers, he still made snide remarks, though Tidus, Wakka, and Undyne were quick to put him in his place. Undyne had nearly turned Bickson into a pincushion when he suggested that she jump ship to train the Goers…and that she become his girlfriend. As it was, Undyne had summoned a spear and held it close to Bickson's groin, and told him bluntly that she was training the Aurochs, not the Goers, and that she was taken. Bickson had never spoken to Undyne again, though whenever she was out of earshot, he had called her unflattering nicknames, mostly slurs on her sexuality. He was right about her sexuality, but Tidus was certain that Bickson didn't actually know that Undyne was a lesbian.

Then again, Bickson certainly didn't know that Undyne was a Fallen either.

"Anyway, Muffet will be over on the SS Liki tomorrow. I just thought I'd give you a heads up." Asriel then smiled. "I'll leave you two alone now. I'll go and talk to Lulu. Bye."

As Asriel left, Kimahri said, to Tidus, "Look after Yuna." He then walked out as well.

"They're giving us some privacy," Yuna said softly. She looked at Tidus with a small but cheeky smile on her lips. "Let's make the most of it while it lasts."

Tidus smiled as well, albeit with less cheekiness. More of a loving, adoring smile. They had, as Asriel so facetiously put it, 'made out' before, though they were going to leave the 'fun stuff' (as Undyne put it) until they were older. Still, they were going to enjoy every moment of privacy that they could…

* * *

It had been a few days since Seymour had returned from the Underground. He had an office of sorts within Macalania Temple, filled with few personal items, save for his books, and a framed photo of him and his mother, taken while they were exiled at Baaj Temple. He preferred working and living here to Guadosalam. Time had not healed the wounds of his father's betrayal, and that of his people, and he wanted to be as far away as possible.

His mind of late had been clouded by dark thoughts and darker desires. So when he learned of the Fallen, he found something strange stirring within him. He had asked his father to go to them when he heard from Tromell about the possibility of sending envoys. And what he found there was something truly cruel indeed, something he realised even as he entered the Underground.

Hope.

Yes, hope, that most insidious of poisons rearing its head once more. And yet, meeting Asgore and Toriel, two of the most nice people one could ever want to meet, had started to give him hope again. He could not exactly define why.

He knew the Fallen used machina. They had covered their tracks, true, but he knew what signs to look out for. They used electricity, and a substantial amount too. They had deliberately kept him from certain areas, areas he could hear, with his sensitive ears, the hum of machinery. He had seen bare patches on tables and sideboards where machines once were, he was sure of it. And machina left a certain smell in the air, something Guado would be sensitive to, and he was familiar with that smell from Bevelle's machina. And there were the rumours of Fallen amongst the Al Bhed.

He didn't say this to his father, of course. Why should he? Seymour felt spite towards him, and in any case, it might be a useful bargaining chip. But there was another reason.

He sipped at the cup of Golden Flower Tea. He found himself acquiring a taste for it after his brief sojourn, and he found it calming and relaxing. He had ensured it wasn't drugged, at least not by outside sources, but all it had was an innate mild stimulant.

After he drained his cup, he had a notion, one he hadn't had for a very long time. The audacity of it shocked him, and yet, he felt it was the right thing to do.

He was going to commune with his mother.

He closed his eyes, and focused on the singing of the Hymn of the Fayth that pervaded the temple. He allowed his mind to make a connection it hadn't for a long time as it rode the eerie melody that hadn't comforted him for a long time…and yet, even now, was soothing him for the first time in a long time.

After a while, he felt his mother's presence again. Not in the monstrous form of the dark Aeon she had become…but as a Fayth, a spectre normally trapped in a statue.

 _My son_ … she said quietly. _It's been a while since you spoke to me last._

 _Forgive me. Maybe I should send a card to Baaj_.

Anima chuckled sadly. _That is the first time in a long time you have made a joke, Seymour. The last I remember you making to me was before we set off for Zanarkand. I'm sorry for putting you through that._

 _I know. You've apologised before. Mother…I wish for counsel_. He explained his trip to see the Fallen. And the indefinable sense of hope it had given him.

After a time, Anima said, _We know of the Fallen. We Fayth are interconnected. It's just as well, it's boring being a statue, to say the least. We know more of Spira than you realise, Seymour. We know things Yevon would never dare countenance. While it's not true to say that the Fallen are Spira's only hope, they represent our best hope. But they need help. They need allies._

 _Best hope? Against Sin?_

 _Yes. You know Yunalesca's way gives a false hope, that the Cycle of Sin continues regardless. You don't know exactly how or why, but you know of its futility. But not all hope is false or meaningless, Seymour. I am not blind to the darkness that nearly consumes your heart, but I have not lost hope for you. The Fallen intend to stop Sin…but as I said, they need allies. They have some, but you would make a good ally, if you wish to be. Yevon, or at least the upper echelons, would oppose them, Seymour. They wish for the Cycle of Sin to continue, both to stay in power, and to appease the entity behind Sin. But as a senior priest of Yevon…_

 _I see. Are you asking me to commit heresy and treason?_

 _Is it heresy to defy corruption? Is it treason to give Spira true hope? You no longer truly believe in Yevon, though you go through the motions. What you need is something else to believe in. Seymour…we have a plan. It is still a work in progress, but one day, Sin may yet be gone. Banishing Sin will not banish all of Spira's sorrows and pain, but it will allow people to live without fear of Sin_.

This was heresy. Apostasy. And yet, Seymour couldn't help but listen. For the first time in years, he listened to his mother. And while the darkness within him could never be fully abated, it was that day that it truly began to recede in earnest…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **There'll be a timeskip for the next chapter. I want to get where Chappu dies…in canon, at least. Speaking of canon, or rather, cannons, Mettaton NEO will make an appearance!**

 **I enjoyed exploring Seymour's mentality in this chapter, even if I never intended to explore it in this chapter. I intended to have more Yuna/Tidus instead, but couldn't write much more. Oh, and I'm not shipping O'aka and Muffet. They're strictly business partners.**

 **Now, I know I said the next chapter wasn't until Christmas, but I managed to finish the next one. If you're lucky, you might get another one before the Christmas Update. If not, well…**

 **Review-answering time! A few of you were wondering what the dialogue in Al Bhed was. While I won't be translating every line used (where possible, I will be writing the dialogue as translated into English rather than as Al Bhed), but here are the lines…**

 **CID: You heard him! Back off. He's helping Alphys in identifying and improving the machina, and he's not for taking apart!**

 **BROTHER: How do we know he's even a guy? Look at those shoes. He has HEELS!**

 **METTATON: I'm comfortable with the way I look. And I wouldn't be seen dead with a mohawk.**

 **RIKKU: You're making them uncomfortable. Can you let them work in peace?**

 **I answered Saul'keth's review in correspondence, but I will answer it here. Mettaton revealed Alphys' personal collection of Undyne photos partly because he likes to troll her. That being said, he's also trying to give her the confidence to be more open about her relationship with Undyne, and his teasing is affectionate.**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: Maybe, but I don't appreciate being given story ideas. I prefer to think of them myself, and people spamming me with story ideas, especially as I make it VERY clear on my profile that I don't accept them. That being said, I'm glad that you like the way things are going. If you want a story with a more heroic Seymour, why not try my pure** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **fanfic** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **?**

 **1\. Hircine means goat-like.**


	8. Chapter 7: Near-Death-By-Glamour

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **NEAR-DEATH-BY-GLAMOUR EXPERIENCE**

 _A year later_ …

Chappu was almost certain he was going to die. Here he was, on a lonely beach near Djose Temple, with a ravening Sinspawn about to feast on him, as it had on so many of his fellow Crusaders. He was cursing his brother for being right, as he so wearily was (would it have killed him to be a brother rather than a surrogate father? Wakka wasn't the most mature of people, and if he wanted a mature perspective, he'd talk to Lulu), he was cursing himself for believing that machina weapons would be effective against Sinspawn, and he was cursing the Al Bhed for being late. Always assuming they had intended to show up at all. Supposedly, they had a new weapon that they were going to test out.

There was a Sinspawn that had shown up near Djose Temple, like some warped version of a Behemoth, feasting on anyone who came this way. That meant Summoners and their Guardians, merchants, travellers, and so on. Chappu happened to be in the area with his squad. And now, Sin had shown up, and most of the survivors were hell-bent on trying to drive Sin away. Which meant that Chappu, and a few other Crusaders, were on their own.

Chappu knew he would be leaving many friends behind, along with family. Wakka, Lulu, Yuna, Tidus, Asriel, Sans, Undyne…he would miss them. Always assuming he didn't become a Fiend because a Summoner wasn't able to Send him in time.

 _Sorry, Lu_ , Chappu thought to himself. _I'm not gonna be coming back, ya?_

But before the Sinspawn could reach him, ready to devour him, a blast of fuchsia energy smacked into the beast, sending it reeling back with a screech. Chappu looked around, before he heard a voice from nearby, a man's voice, an elegant purr that nonetheless had some urgency. "Yes, I know you're speechless, darlings, but I think you'd better fall back!"

Chappu stared at the source of the voice. His first thought was that it was a man in machina armour of some kind, a beautiful, elegant thing, with wings seemingly made of fuchsia energy, and what looked like some sort of small cannon in place of his right hand. However, Chappu realised, with a start, that the beautiful, androgynous features of his erstwhile saviour were metallic, with even his hair metallic. His right eye, set in a darkened part of his otherwise pale face, glowed pink. This was some kind of machina that could think and speak, he realised!

"Darlings, get moving!" the machina man yelled, before firing another blast at the Sinspawn.

Chappu looked at the survivors, before snapping, "You heard him…run, ya?!"

They fled as the machina man fired another shot. "Is that our back-up from the Al Bhed?" demanded one of his comrades, a man called Beclem.

"Probably, but in any case, he's on our side!"

Chappu and his comrades managed to make it to where a group of surviving Crusaders, along with some Al Bhed, and a few very strange others, were waiting. "OVER HERE, HUMANS!" screamed a tall, lanky skeleton in armour.

A yellow, lizard-like being in a labcoat was staring at the machina man, with a strange box in her hand. "Mettaton, it's going to use a Gravity spell. Move!" she yelled at the box.

Chappu turned to see the machina man speed out of the way of a rippling in space that opened into a dark void. A Gravity spell of some kind, probably stronger than Demi, Chappu thought. "What the hell is that machina guy, ya?!"

A blonde-haired Al Bhed girl said, "That's Mettaton!"

"Better known as the narcissistic junkheap," a silver haired girl remarked sardonically.

"P-Paine!" the lizard woman protested.

Mettaton fired out a series of strange, rectangular blocks with arms that hurled what looked like…were those love hearts made of energy? There were also strange bombs with cross symbols on them. The Sinspawn dodged them all, and sneered (insomuch as a savage monster could sneer) at Mettaton, who merely smirked, and, making a gesture, yelled, "REWIND ATTACK!"

Suddenly, the projectiles he had fired out reversed their course, smacking into the Sinspawn from behind, causing it to roar in pain as they exploded. Mettaton began charging up a blast from the cannon on his arm, before yelling, "Time for you to experience…DEATH BY GLAMOUR!" With that, he unleashed the blast, causing the Sinspawn to dissipate into a spectacular and colourful cloud of Pyreflies.

As Chappu and his comrades gaped, Mettaton flew over, and landed near the lizard woman. "I'm sorry, Alphys, darling, but my power reserves are getting dangerously low. That's about as much battle time as I can get on the current model of battery."

"It's a good field t-t-test," Alphys stammered. "Much better time than those tests we d-d-did at Bikanel. We couldn't risk the p-p-prototype battery I am developing."

"All well and good, ya? But we've got Sin still hangin' around!" Chappu protested, indicating the massive form of Sin lurking in the distance.

Alphys nodded, before the Al Bhed girl ran up, and pressed a large matte black block of plastic with a metal end into her hand. The lizard woman swiftly opened a slot in Mettaton's back, exchanging the plastic block for another. "Okay, Mettaton, b-battery's changed over. Lure Sin away, but don't take any risks. K-keep your distance."

"Will do," Mettaton said with a grin, before flying off into the distance.

"Who are you guys?" Beclem asked. "I heard rumours about talking Fiends, but this…"

"Hey, that's rude," the Al Bhed girl said.

"We're a special group," the silver-haired girl said. "I'm Paine, that bundle of energy is Rikku, and that bundle of nerves is Alphys. I'll let the skeleton introduce himself, he loves to do that."

"GREETINGS, HUMANS! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

Chappu, deciding to roll with it, just looked out to where Sin was, and at Mettaton, now a speck against the vast bulk of the beast. "Can your machina man beat Sin?"

"No, his weapons don't have enough p-p-power to do more than sting," Alphys said. "Mettaton's luring it away s-s-so that the Crusaders can withdraw with less casualties, as well as allowing us to ch-ch-check for any wounded. He c-can handle Sinspawn, as you just saw, but Sin is another matter."

"He's doing a great job of evading Sin's attacks, Alphy," Rikku said. "I knew he wasn't all talk, you know?"

Alphys put the box in her hand to her head. "Luzzu, have you m-managed to evacuate?"

Luzzu's voice crackled from it. " _We're almost done, Alphys. How many survivors from the Sinspawn?_ "

"Only three, I'm afraid to say. There may b-be more who were unable to move from their position. We'll be moving in shortly: Mettaton seems to be succeeding in drawing Sin out to sea."

" _Got it. Your pretty-boy tin man's doing well._ "

" _I_ _ **can**_ _hear you, you know_ ," Mettaton's voice cut in. " _Sin's giving me quite a workout. You'd better look for any wounded quickly, I'm not sure how much longer I can last. If we're lucky, Sin might just ragequit without killing everything in a ten kilometre- OH SHIT!_ " In the distance, a blast of energy from Sin nearly hit the swooping form of Mettaton. " _And it's official. Sin is NOT joining my fanclub anytime soon._ "

"…DID METTATON JUST SWEAR?" Papyrus asked, tilting his head. "I THOUGHT HIS SHOW WAS FAMILY-FRIENDLY."

"Not the time, Papyrus!" Paine snapped. "We go in now! Anyone who can use White Magic, use it! Potions, Elixirs on the wounded, and Phoenix Downs on anyone who might be saved! Come on!"

An Al Bhed with a Mohawk snapped, " _Fru teat yht syta oui pucc?!_ "

" _Taym fedr ed, nuucdan-ryen_ ," Paine retorted, before a group of the gathered Al Bhed and Crusaders made their way back to the battlefield.

"Umm, should we help?" Chappu asked.

"The more the merrier," Paine said, before running over to the battlefield, with Chappu and his comrades following…

* * *

Deep within Sin, what remained of the man once known as Yu Yevon ranted and raged incoherently. Not that he could do so coherently, even if he wanted to: he was little more than a near-mindless parasite that turned Aeons into Sin. But there was something of his essence that was feeling frustration at that damned machina man managing to avoid his attacks, and taunting him.

Also within Sin, Jecht was laughing his head off. _This is the best entertainment I've had for ages! I'm gettin' my ass kicked by a camp flying robot! HAHAHAHA!_

* * *

A couple of hours later, Chappu watched on as a Summoner who had come to Djose performed a Sending, twirling her staff in the elaborate, ritual manner. It hadn't quite hit Chappu yet that he had managed to survive, when so many of his comrades hadn't. He was numbed, partly because of the sheer enormity of what had happened hadn't quite sunken through. Hell, this was his first major battle. He had fought Fiends before, true, but never alongside people who had died, unable to live or laugh again. Sin had gone out to sea, apparently frustrated at being unable to kill Mettaton, to everyone's relief.

He sensed someone sitting down beside him. He didn't quite register who it was until they said, "It's not easy, is it?"

Chappu looked at the newcomer, who turned out to be Paine. He shook his head. "I don't really think it's sunk in, ya?"

"That's normal." He realised that Paine was actually younger than him, but she carried herself in a way that made her seem older, rather like Lulu. Hell, she even had the same red eyes that seemed appraising and aloof. "The adrenaline's still draining from your veins. All in all, it could have been far worse than it was. Luzzu said that if Mettaton hadn't intervened, more would have died."

"That's no consolation, ya?" Chappu said miserably. "Some of my friends died, all because of some bloody Sinspawn. And the machina weapons didn't do much. Well, save for that Mettaton guy. He may not have done much against Sin, but against that Sinspawn…"

"Yeah, the narcissistic junkheap does have his uses," Paine said. "We tried to hurry to get here. We knew you'd be here."

"Me? What have I got to do with anything?"

"…I know Yuna and Asriel. We are siblings, well, adoptive siblings. They send letters to us. You do know Yuna's half-Al Bhed."

Chappu frowned. He did remember Yuna and Asriel referring to their sister before. "Yeah, Lu told me. We didn't dare tell my brother, though, 'cause he'd react badly, ya?"

Paine nodded. "Rikku's her cousin, as is Brother, the Mohawk-wearing moron."

Then, Chappu realised he had heard Alphys' name before. "Wait a moment…Undyne said she had a girlfriend called Alphys."

"Yeah. She's a scientist, and one of our experts on machina. Mettaton is one of her creations. Well, the body is, anyway. And Papyrus…well, let's just say that he's enthusiastic and loud, but you shouldn't let him cook without supervision. Undyne taught him."

"Hey, she's a good cook, ya?"

"She's probably one now. Let's just say that we could have fed one of her old dishes to that Sinspawn to kill it."

"Mettaton seemed to do a good job himself, ya?"

"Oh, darlings, my ears were burning," Mettaton said, coming over. His appearance had changed. Instead of the black armour he had been encased in earlier, he seemed to have only an armoured chest in pink, and his arms were now silver with hands on the end. If anything, he looked more effeminate and flamboyant than before. "I know I did a good job myself." His face fell. "A shame I didn't get here sooner. A live audience is more appreciative than a dead one."

Chappu felt a flash of anger, before Paine gave him a look. "He cares. He's a narcissistic junkheap, but he cares," she said quietly. "That's his way of showing it."

"I think one of Blooky's tapes will be appropriate for the service," Mettaton mused, surprisingly solemnly. "He is really something when it comes to mournful melodies. He did this wonderful funerary remix of the Hymn of the Fayth."

On Chappu's look, Paine said, "He means his cousin, Napstablook. And before you ask, Napstablook is very different to him."

"In looks or personality?"

"Both." As Mettaton wandered off, Paine looked at Chappu. "It's going to get difficult for the Crusaders from now on. Yevon's making moves to excommunicate you all, we heard, for using machina weaponry, despite the fact that I know for a fact the Warrior Monks use them in Bevelle. Wakka's not going to be happy, though I dare say he'd be less happy if you were dead. And we've shown something of our hand. The Yevonites will be wondering how the Al Bhed got their hands on a machina weapon like Mettaton. If things get too hard to bear at Besaid…just talk to Undyne or Asriel, as Yuna and Tidus are going on that Pilgrimage dry-run. We need people out at Bikanel, either to help excavate the digs, or help guard them from Fiends. As long as you're willing to tolerate Al Bhed…or people like Mettaton or Papyrus, and aren't going to betray any secrets to Yevon, we'd be glad to have you."

Chappu chewed his lip pensively. The last he heard, Lulu was saying she was going to accompany Father Zuke on his Pilgrimage soon, as was Wakka. Yuna and Tidus would be accompanying them to Luca, along with Kimahri, as a dry run for Yuna's own Pilgrimage, to demonstrate the dangers the journey entailed. Wakka and Lulu would be gone for weeks at least, assuming they came back at all.

Paine, noticing his indecision, said, "You'll be marked as being on 'special assignment' by the Crusaders. Luzzu's agreed to allow any willing men to work in a special liaison squad with us."

"And what are you tryin' to do, ya?"

"Beat Sin. Sounds easy, but it isn't. Oh, and don't be surprised if my uncle turns up."

"Your uncle?"

"Auron."

"What, your uncle is Sir Auron?" Chappu asked. "I mean, I knew Tidus and Yuna had met him, but I didn't know he was your uncle, ya?"

"He is. Anyway, wait until you get back to Besaid before you make your decision. Luzzu's bringing his men back to Besaid for the time being. At least you can see your friends and family again before you make the decision."

And it was a heavy decision, to say the least. Still, he was almost certain that whatever he did, Wakka was not going to be happy. Still, Wakka had to be happy about one thing, that he was alive, right? And that was one thing Chappu was grateful to Paine and the mixed group of Al Bhed and Fallen for: he was still alive thanks to them…

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, the first truly major change to** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **canon: Chappu is alive. Well, unless you count Tidus being in Spira early. I also wanted to do a chapter where Mettaton NEO makes an appearance. I was inspired by a brilliant animation someone on YouTube did: namely** ** _Chara VS Mettaton NEO_** **by NCH Productions. If you ever wanted to see the Mettaton NEO fight that should have been…look it up. It may play merry hell with the conventions of** ** _Undertale_** **, but damn if it isn't fun, frightening, and downright fantastic.**

 **Incidentally, I thought it funny to have Mettaton swear, and Papyrus remark on it. After all, he does berate you in the game if you swear during his essay sequence during your battle. Oh, and for those who want the Al Bhed translations, Brother was demanding who died and made Paine boss. Paine retorted, "Deal with it, rooster-hair."**

 **There'll be another timeskip, albeit of a few weeks rather than months or a year, to the next chapter, where Yuna and Tidus are accompanying Wakka, Lulu, and Zuke on Zuke's Pilgrimage. That will be at least a couple of chapters.**

 **Review-answering time!** **jgkitarel** **: He's not the only one. At the end of** ** _Legacy of Kain: Defiance_** **, Kain himself feels hope, but in a wary way, as he doesn't like hope. It was that I was going for.**

 **Reishin Amara** **: Hahaha!**

 **Thunder Dragon** **: If you would like to see a more heroic Seymour, why not read my** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **AU** ** _Vincit Qui Patitur_** **? Seymour is adopted by the Al Bhed in that fic, and changes for the better.**

 **Myra the Dovahkin** **: You'll have to wait a while longer for more Sans. I like him too, but it's hard dividing time for the characters.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	9. Chapter 8: Perilous Pilgrimage

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **PERILOUS PILGRIMAGE**

Yuna looked out from the bow of the _SS Winno_ across the ocean. Kimahri, as always, was never far from her side. Tidus would have been here as well, but he was off with Wakka and the Aurochs, discussing strategy for the Blitzball games at Luca. Undyne was also with the Aurochs, with Sans left to defend Asriel. Not that Asriel needed defending: the young Dreemurr was easily one of the most powerful Fallen alive, and behind his gentle nature was a genuine desire to protect. And woe betide anyone who pissed him off.

Wakka very nearly did when Chappu came back home after a disastrous operation. He had berated Chappu for hours for using a machina weapon, for collaborating with the Al Bhed. There had been a bad argument, and it took Yuna and Asriel's not inconsiderable diplomatic skills, along with Lulu's sharp tongue, to get them to reconcile. Wakka was angry not just because of Chappu violating the precepts (and now getting excommunicated from Yevon), but also because he nearly died, with much of his anger born of worry. While the brothers weren't on the best of terms at the moment, Wakka had admitted to Yuna, privately, that he was actually glad that the rumoured Al Bhed machina man had saved Chappu's life. He just wished it wasn't heathens and their machina that did so. Lulu was just glad that Chappu had survived, the usually stoic woman more effusive.

They had just been to Kilika, where Father Zuke had obtained Ifrit. Yuna had been acutely aware of the stares, directed at her. There had even been one rather snide dark-skinned woman by the name of Dona who had made remarks of her 'special privileges' because of her father. Zuke had shot her down. Still, they had encountered a few strong Fiends in the Kilika Forest, and Yuna was now beginning to realise the enormity of the journey she would have to make. Not on a geographical scale, but rather, on a psychological scale. No wonder it was so taxing on Summoners. Even if she was going to try and defeat Sin without dying in the process, the journey itself would be an onerous one.

"A Gil for your thoughts?" Zuke asked, approaching Yuna, Lulu by his side. He was a bald man with blue robes.

"They are rather cheap at that price," Yuna said with a sad smile. "I'm just thinking about the enormity of the Pilgrimage."

"I understand. It can be daunting. I chose to become a Summoner later in life, and I chose to teach others before I undertook my own Pilgrimage. Of the three students I have undertaken, barring yourself, two fell to Fiends, and the other to Bevelle politics. And the Pilgrimage is simple enough when undertaken from Besaid. From our humble island, it is a relatively linear journey to the ruins of Zanarkand. To other Summoners, including Lord Braska, the journey is somewhat more complicated, geographically. Of course, your father had other complications, namely your mother."

Yuna nodded. Zuke was one of the few people who knew of her heritage, which he didn't hold against her. Like Lulu, Zuke held to the precepts involving machina simply because Sin attacked machina, not just because of the precepts being sacrosanct. "Sir Jecht claimed to come from Zanarkand, and Sir Auron…"

"Yes, I am well aware of Sir Auron's chequered past, as far as Bevelle is concerned. One of his former comrades, Wen Kinoc, became a Maester a couple of years ago. Maester Kopile was one of the worst Maesters I have ever known, in terms of character. I believe the only reason that Maester Mika tolerated him was that Kopile could be counted on to do the dirty work of Bevelle."

Yuna remained silent, remembering Kopile ordering Kinoc and the other Warrior Monks to throw her and Paine into the Underground. Kopile had died a couple of years ago. And Yuna found a small part of herself cheering at the thought.

Zuke smiled kindly, and said, "This is a reality you must learn, Yuna, if you haven't already. Sin and Fiends are far from the only perils on a Pilgrimage. The pettiness of men and their ambitions, especially those hiding behind the holy precepts of Yevon, are also a factor. While you have protection as Lord Braska's daughter to a certain extent, that protection is potentially double-edged. There are only two things you can truly rely on during a Pilgrimage: your Guardians, and your Aeons. And given your bond with Tidus, I know you have at least one excellent Guardian already. With any luck, perhaps Wakka and Lulu may be able to become your own. I have every confidence that they will survive my Pilgrimage, even if I do not."

Yuna nodded, but she knew this already. Auron had been a great educator on Bevelle politics and how they may affect her Pilgrimage, before they left the Underground. And there was, of course, what he taught them whenever he was able to come to Besaid. He was wandering Spira, performing what he called reconnaissance.

Still, would it be enough? They were gambling a lot on a still-vague plan to defeat Sin, dependent on the Al Bhed, as well as an ability to find a way to stop Yu Yevon. A lot was riding on this…

* * *

Luca was one of Yuna's favourite places in Spira. It was bustling, cosmopolitan, and exciting. She couldn't live there, as she much preferred the quiet of Besaid, but it was nice to visit.

As the Blitzball game wouldn't be for another day, Yuna, Tidus, and Kimahri had opted to look around the town, while Zuke, Lulu, and Wakka, along with the Aurochs, were at the stadium. In any case, Yuna, Tidus and Kimahri also had another reason for going off on their own. They wanted to see Muffet.

They soon found Muffet and O'aka's Tea Parlour in the eateries district of Luca. They knew from earlier visits that O'aka generally handled the administration side of things, while Muffet, in her human disguise, was the frontwoman of the café. There was even a poster of her in the window, a tray laden with all sorts of confectionaries balanced on one hand, a beautiful teapot in the other, and a winning smile on her face, complete with cheeky wink. Her human form was of a slender girl about their age, with black hair in pigtails, a cutely mischievous face that resembled Rikku's, dressed in a dress with puffy sleeves and pantaloons. Her true form wasn't that dissimilar, save that she had purple skin, five eyes rather than two, six arms instead of two…oh, and she had fangs in her mouth.

As they entered, they were greeted by Muffet herself, who grinned. "Tidus, Yunie, Kimmi, it's been too long!" she cooed, giving them a hug. And you know when a spider girl is giving you a hug, even when her other arms and hands were hidden by magic.

"Hello, Muffet," Yuna said with a smile. Despite Muffet's sometimes darker idiosyncrasies, Yuna liked the spider girl. "How's business?"

Muffet chuckled in her own strange little way. "Ahuhuhu…I'm ranked second on the favourite Luca eateries list, and it hasn't been that long. I did have some trouble with some tart who wanted to use standover tactics on me. She called herself Leblanc, and apparently she's a hotshot in Luca. Well, until I gave her a touch of arachnophobia. Ahuhuhu…"

"Muffet, you didn't expose yourself?" Tidus asked.

"Tidus, you know that a lady would never expose themselves, as it is not proper," Muffet said primly, though her eyes twinkled at her own joke. "I merely hung her over Muffin, and pointed out how nice she should be, as tarts like her might get eaten otherwise. She still thinks I'm human, she just thinks I like spider Fiends and can command them, like the Guado can summon and command Fiends. I've managed to make nice with her, though. She's agreed to buy some of my fine spider silk dresses."

"Well, at least that was resolved peacefully," Yuna said. She then realised, rather acutely, that she was being watched. And not just by people who knew her father. No, someone had their attention on her.

Tidus had noticed, and then said quietly to Muffet, "Hey, who's the creepy guy with the blue hair?"

"Who? Oh, Seymour isn't that creepy. He's one of my regulars whenever he is in Luca. He's actually the priest of Macalania Temple and the son of Maester Jyscal Guado. He's also involved in the trade agreement between the Underground and Guadosalam," Muffet said quietly. "He's acquired a taste for Golden Flower Tea, actually. He buys it directly from the Underground…"

* * *

It was while they were finishing their morning tea that Yuna found Seymour approaching them. Kimahri, who had been sitting opposite Yuna drinking a Spider Cider, noticed, and stood, stepping forward, his eyes narrowing. Seymour merely held up a hand. "I merely wish to talk," he said.

"Then talk," Kimahri rumbled.

"Preferably while sitting," Seymour added.

Yuna, after a moment, nodded to Kimahri, and Seymour sat down opposite Yuna and Tidus. Yuna was struck by the man's appearance. She had seen pictures before, thanks to Toriel sending them photos, but they didn't give a true impression of the half-Guado's presence.

Seymour reached into his robes, gently, holding it out for Kimahri to scrutinise when the Ronso growled softly. After a moment, Kimahri nodded, and allowed Seymour to place the object on the table. "What is that thing?" Tidus asked as Seymour activated it.

"It's a curious invention from Bevelle. It's one of the few machina not proscribed by Yevon, used as an aid to meditation and prayer. It creates a field not unlike a Silence spell, only those outside the field cannot hear us, and we can't hear them. While mostly used by novice monks for their training, it's also useful for covert conversations," Seymour said. "But how remiss of me. I should introduce myself. I am Seymour Guado. I know of you, Lady Yuna, and I know the names of your companions. Tidus, the son of Jecht, and one of those responsible for the Besaid Aurochs getting something of a winning streak. And Kimahri Ronso, a disgraced Ronso who nonetheless has become your bodyguard. I'm surprised that Undyne woman wasn't here in Luca."

"She needed to protect my…adopted brother," Yuna said.

"Yes, Asriel Dreemurr, isn't it? Yes, I have met his parents, the King and Queen of the Fallen. Wonderful people. It was they who introduced me to the joys of Golden Flower Tea. In a world like Spira, there are few novelties that truly inspire."

Tidus, suspicious, asked, "What do you want?"

"Ah, the direct approach. You are refreshingly blunt, Tidus. Forgive me for pontificating, but few show little but deference to me because of my station. I am High Priest of Macalania Temple, and my father, I believe, is trying to groom me to be his successor as a Maester, and I am forced to endure sycophancy and cronyism all the time, so your directness is most refreshing. However, you wish for me to get to the point. I want many things. One of the main reasons I came over here was to meet you two. The daughter of Lord Braska, and the son of Jecht. Another is that I am perhaps the highest-placed person in Yevon with ties to the Fallen, and I wished to help."

Tidus and Yuna looked at each other, before they returned their gaze to Seymour, both incredulous. "Help?"

"In some regards. I will be seeing your adopted parents again before long. You are a trainee Summoner, Yuna, whereas I am a veteran, albeit one who faltered at the final hurdle. Do you know how they create the Final Aeon, Yuna?"

Yuna opted to lie, shaking her head, and Tidus played along. "You said create, not obtain."

"That is correct. The Final Aeon no longer exists, or rather, the Fayth does not, not of Lord Zaon, the husband of Lady Yunalesca, whose name you share, but whose demeanour you do not." Seymour looked away. "The Final Aeon is created by turning someone close to the Summoner, invariably a Guardian, into an Aeon."

Yuna faked a gasp, and Tidus a growl of outrage. They knew this already, thanks to Auron telling them about Jecht's fate. But then, Yuna realised something that didn't need to be faked. "You have a Final Aeon yourself," she murmured in horror.

Seymour nodded solemnly. "My mother, Anima, accompanied me on my Pilgrimage, which was straight to Zanarkand from Baaj. Unorthodox, but possible under the precepts, especially as my mother was dying. Do you know much about my personal history?"

Tidus said, "I think I heard that you were born to a human woman, and the Guado didn't like that, so your dad sent you to some windswept rock in the middle of nowhere. That bites."

"A succinct and apt description, Tidus. It is somewhat crude, and does gloss over some of the details, but you are correct. My mother wished for me to be a bridge between humans and Guado, and hoped that my defeat of Sin would do so. I believe my father assisted the Pilgrimage, if only to remove an embarrassment. I met Yunalesca, who turned my mother into an Aeon. But when the time came to fight Sin…I faltered."

"You must have been very young," Yuna mused, knowing very well that he was only eight. She was still horrified at the prospect of such a young boy undertaking such a thing.

"I was. I returned to Baaj in disgrace. I eventually brought the Fayth of my mother back to Baaj. That is the price of defeating Sin, Yuna, with the Final Aeon, at least. It is not just paid in the coin of a Summoner's life, but at least one Guardian's too. That price, and so many other things," he finished solemnly.

"Why are you telling us this?" Tidus asked suspiciously.

"Because I am not a fool, Tidus. I know that the Fallen only pay lip service, at best, to the precepts of Yevon. I know that they are collaborating with the Al Bhed. And I know they have links to you both. But the Fayth are linked, and my mother has told me of an intriguing plan, one that may yet give a true hope to Spira. I found it hard to believe at first, as I am sure you find it hard to believe that I am your ally. But that, plus the kindness of the Dreemurrs, has given me hope once more. An insidious poison, hope, given how Yevon and Yunalesca have used it to their advantage over the years. But the Dreemurrs have cause to believe it genuine. Which is why, after considerable thought, I intend to throw my lot in with them. It was far from an easy decision, but Yevon's precepts only perpetuate Spira's sorrow, and does only a token effort to relieve it. I hope that one day, we can work together to vanquish Sin." Seymour got up, and nodded to them. "I will speak to the Dreemurrs about this at a later date. It was good to meet you." With that, he plucked up the device and left.

"Can we trust him?" Tidus asked, scowling. "He gives me a bad vibe."

"True…but if he is genuine, Tidus…we have an ally high within the hierarchy of Yevon. That may be very valuable. And Sin has hurt him."

They couldn't know whether Seymour was genuine. But when the time finally came for Yuna to begin her own Pilgrimage, they would soon realise how genuine he truly was, and the influence he would have, for better and for worse…

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, Seymour's laid his cards on the table. I was proud of how I wrote Zuke, who only appears briefly in the game. Oh, and we've had some adorable spider-girl moments with Muffet.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Thunder Dragon** **: Jecht hates being Sin, so getting his arse kicked by a camp robot would be hilarious to him. To what little of Yu Yevon's consciousness is left, not so much. Wakka is less racist towards the Al Bhed (though still somewhat), as part of his hatred towards them was fuelled by Chappu dying. Chappu and Lulu were canonically in a relationship before Chappu died, so Wakka will have to find someone else. But keep in mind that Wakka's prejudice towards the Al Bhed is due to them using machina. Wakka already knows about the Fallen, but not their technology, and he just thinks they're a bit weird, but likeable enough. Plus, Undyne's training did wonders to help the Aurochs win.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


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